Killer 7 Plot Analysis/FAQ

KILLER7 PLOT ANALYSIS
James Clinton Howell
Final revision: 14 September 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I: INTRODUCTION [#I]
II: THE LONG VIEW: FOUR NARRATIVE LEVELS [#II]
A: The Cosmic Level (Gods) [#IIA]
B: The Political Level (Governments) [#IIB]
C: The Individual Level (Folks) [#IIC]
D: The Spiritual Level (Ghosts) [#IID]
III: SYMBOLISM [#III]
A: Yin/Yang VS God/Devil [#IIIA]
B: Chess [#IIIB]
IV: HISTORY LESSONS [#IV]
A: Reagan, the Japanese Diet, and New Diplomacy [#IVA]
B: Miscellaneous World War II Allusions [#IVB]
C: November, 1942 [#IVC]
V: QUESTION AND ANSWER [#V]
A: Three Harmans? [#VA]
B: Which One Is God Again? [#VB]
C: Surveillance Cameras [#VC]
D: Handsome Men [#VD]
E: Iwazaru [#VE]
F: Vinculum Gate, Gateman, and the Coliseum [#VF]
G: Screaming in the Trailer [#VG]
H: Kun Lan and H. H. Gunned Down [#VH]
I: Time, Space, and Trailers [#VI]
J: The Forbidden Room [#VJ]
K: Greg Nightmare [#VK]
L: Murderer Keane [#VL]
M: The Golden Gun [#VM]
N: Why 1996? [#VN]
O: Silent Man at the Union Hotel [#VO]
P: Bondage Suicide [#VP]
Q: Whistler's Murder [#VQ]
R: Mills' Assassin [#VR]
S: Dan's Hatred for Harman [#VS]
T: Ulmeyda [#VT]
U: LOVE [#VU]
V: Union Hotel [#VV]
W: Samantha Sitbon/Smith [#VW]
X: Curtis Blackburn [#VX]
Y: Ayame Blackburn [#VY]
Z: Kevin Smith [#VZ]
AA: Dogs and Monkeys [#VAA]
AB: Kenjiro Matsuoka [#VAB]
AC: The Answering Machine [#VAC]
AD: Garcian's Attache Case [#VAD]
AE: Garcian's Memory [#VAE]
AF: LION and the Attache Case [#VAF]
AG: Samantha and the Lights [#VAG]
AH: KAEDE and MASK's names [#VAH]
AI: Yoon-Hyun's Death [#VAI]
AJ: Russian Roulette [#VAJ]
AK: Green Eyes in LION [#VAK]
AL: Remnant Psyches' Speech [#VAL]
AM: Travis' Tux [#VAM]
AN: Master Harman at Restaurant Fukushima [#VAN]
AO: Three Harmans in One [#VAO]
AP: Garcian's Power of Resurrection [#VAP]
AQ: Susie and Ayame Blackburn [#VAQ]
AR: Hulbert [#VAR]
AS: Dan Smith's Hesitation [#VAS]
AT: MASK De Smith Among Killers [#VAT]
AU: Personae's Revival in the Gymnasium [#VAU]
AV: The Personae's Powers [#VAV]
AW: MASK De Smith's Power-Ups [#VAW]
AX: Alter Ego Guitarist [#VAX]
AY: The Odd Engravings [#VAY]
AZ: Susie's Story [#VAZ]
BA: Mills' Cars [#VBA]
BB: Japan's Fate [#VBB]
BC: Different Anime Styles [#VBC]
BD: Garcian's Power to Resurrect [#VBD]
BE: 100 Years Later in Shanghai [#VBE]
BF: End of ANGEL Speech [#VBF]
BG: Harman's Suit in LION [#VBG]
VI: THEMATIC OBSERVATIONS [#VI2]
A: Smile Static [#VIA]
B: Traitorous Stains [#VIB]
C: ISZK [#VIC]
D: Fallen Angel [#VID]
E: Heaven Smiles, as Kamikaze Fighters [#VIE]
F: Andrei Ulmeyda: Descendant of Internment Prisoners [#VIF]
G: Post World War II Japanese Thought, and Killer7 [#VIG]
H: Further Thoughts on the Yakumo [#VIH]
I: Lion Flag [#VII]
J: Battleship Island [#VIJ]
K: Channels Eleven and Twelve [#VIK]
L: Racism in Killer7 [#VIL]
M: Harman and Freud [#VIM]
N: Three Monkeys [#VIN]
O: Messiahs [#VIO]
P: Matsuken as Representative of Yosuke Matsuoka [#VIP]
Q: Notes on Emir Parkreiner's Name [#VIQ]
R: Killer7 as Commentary on Japanese Pop Culture [#VIR]
S: Suggested Political Meaning of Killer7 [#VIS]
VII: CONCLUSION (WITH A NOTE ABOUT JACK THOMPSON) [#VII2]
VIII: APOLOGETICS (AKA, ABOUT THE AUTHOR) [#VIII]
IX: LEGAL NOTES [#IX]
APPENDIX: "HAND IN KILLER7" [APPENDIX]
I: INTRODUCTION [APPEN-I]
II: "HAND IN KILLER7" TRANSLATION [APPEN-II]
III: COMMENTS ON "HAND IN KILLER7" [APPEN-III]
IV: CREDITS [APPEN-IV]
V: LEGAL NOTES [APPEN-V]
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I: INTRODUCTION [#I]
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This document is a Plot Analysis of the Capcom release Killer7
(2005). A few points should be clarified up front.
First: since this is a Plot Analysis, it will drawn support
for its conclusions from all parts of the game. Therefore, I
assume that the reader will have played the game at least
once--having watched all of the cutscenes and talked to all
the NPC's--before reading this guide. This also means that the
Plot Analysis is one huge spoiler.
Second: since Killer7 is such an open-ended game, no single
understanding of the events of the game can be regarded as
"correct" above other understandings. The purpose of the
analysis in this guide is not to establish a final authority
on the events of Killer7, but to provide one unified grasp of
the game that answers the majority of the questions presented
within the game.
I would like to address one frequently asked question that is
directed at this document, rather than at the game. That
question is:
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[Q]: Why can't you just give straight-up answers to the questions
put forth in your guide?
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[A]: This game is not simple.
Appearances in this game are often deceptive. If I give a direct
answer to a question, the answer will likely contradict what
seems to be true. For example: if I merely wrote that Kun Lan is
the Devil-figure, and left it at that, I am guaranteed to receive
fifty eMails asking, "But wait! Kun Lan has the Hand-of-God!
How can HE be the Devil! Because Harman has the power of the God
Killer!!!"
In other words, the answers are written the way they are because
they are complicated answers. That's why this is a complicated
game. That's why this plot analysis document exists. Writing is
written so that it may be read, not skimmed. Likewise, I assume
that anyone reading this document will have the intellectual
engagement to read its contents, rather than expect it to run
like an answer key to a multiple-choice quiz.
I hope you enjoy reading this Plot Analysis.
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II: THE LONG VIEW: FOUR NARRATIVE LEVELS [#II]
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Interpreting Killer7 is like jumping into a cold swimming pool
on a hot summer day. There is no warm place to stand and get
used to the water. You just need to jump in--or get pushed.
Either way, you have to start tying things together by their
loose ends--and the knots you use aren't going to be
everyone's choices. With that in mind, I'll start with some
assertions that have a basis in the game's story, and I will
then explain the entire story of the game based on those
assertions. From here on out, when I write "such-and-such
means" or "such-and-such is this way," I'm reasoning the
conclusion either from the clarity that the definitions bring
to the story, or from a historical or mythological
relationship between a fact in the game and the historical
world we live in.
A pre-release article on Killer7 described the game thus:
"Killer 7 will contain five storylines that span through four
different worlds in two time periods, the present day and the
year 2005."
Amendments have been made, of course, to the narrative since
the publication of the article. For all of the differences
that developed between the earlier concept and the finished
product, though--I'm thinking specifically of the five
storylines and the two time periods--the "four different
worlds" facet stuck with me.
As I have played and studied the game, I have concluded that
the plot of Killer7 exists on four different levels of
narrative reality. These four levels of narrative reality are:
the Cosmic level; the Political level; the Individual level;
and the Spiritual level. To simplify the distinction (and to
prevent this document from becoming confusing), I will refer
to each level of narrative reality by a nickname.
The Cosmic level is Gods.
The Political level is Governments.
The Individual level is Folks.
The Spiritual level is Ghosts.
All of these narrative levels progress at the same time, and
they interweave through each other. In the interest of keeping
my explanation unconvoluted, I will describe the flow of each
of the four narrative levels, insofar as they operate
independent of each other.
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A: THE COSMIC LEVEL (GODS) [#IIA]
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The Cosmic Level of the narrative is the easiest to describe.
However, I should clarify up front that there are three
different entities known as "Harman" in this game. They look
alike and speak alike; they are related to each other;
however, they are distinct from each other.
I will describe each of them, as they relate to their
respective levels of narrative. The "Harman" on the Cosmic
Level of narrative is the character who I refer to as "Hasidic
Harman," or H. H. I name him "Hasidic Harman" because his
manner of clothing suggests that he belongs to a spiritual
tradition related to Western religious heritage, which is
dominated by religious traditions that find their roots in
Hebraic history.
H. H. is described as "the God Killer." His rival is Kun Lan,
who is described as wielding "the Hand of God."
H. H. represents Western culture and civilization: Europe and
the Americas. Kun Lan represents Eastern culture and
civilization: the Asian continental nations and Japan.
At the end of the ANGEL episode, we see that H. H. uses
Garcian and the Smiths (in the Killer7 group) as
transportation. He and Kun Lan have a long history of
friendship, though they seem to regard each other with
professional (rather than personal) affection. They reflect
upon their competitive relationship as experienced via chess
games; most of the time, H. H. wins.
SUDA 51 (the visionary developer of the game) has been quoted
as remarking that H. H. and Kun Lan represent "the futility of
war." This seems most keenly expressed in the game's final
epilogue, which occurs 100 years after the game's events in
Shanghai. I do not disagree with SUDA 51's comment; I would
add, also, that it seems to represent the inevitability of war
and the eternal irresolution of differences between East and
West, so long as one attempts to aggress upon the other.
At the end of ANGEL, H. H. fires a tank-piercing bullet at Kun
Lan, who catches and drops the shell after having been
propelled backward by its impact. This moment signifies the
beginning of the "chess game" that occurs in the Union Hotel's
top floor suite, through the course of the game's events. The
only time H. H. appears is when he is in the company of Kun
Lan.
The conflicts between Kun Lan and H. H. involve human
political, personal, and spiritual affairs. These three levels
of existence are the media through which they war. Everything
that occurs on these levels of existence (and narrative) are
related to their actions. Importantly, these two figures are
not absolute dieties: they can "recruit" individuals, nations,
and spirits into their leagues--and the power that the
formerly subordinate entities gain from their recruitment
places them on a tier higher than most mortals.
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B: THE POLITICAL LEVEL (GOVERNMENTS) [#IIB]
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In order to understand the political narrative of Killer7, we
must first look at the enigmatic "Yakumo." Hints are given on
what it is, in the game, but it's never really made clear what
its contents are.
GameFAQs message board user Yoshiko Ohier has offered the
following information on the Yakumo:
"Acoording to the CAPCOM official web site in Japanese, Yakumo
is a text which was created by 7 Japanese
founders(politicians) in the past. The Yakumo (text) is said
to have a power to change the world. And, Ulmeida (Cloudman)
got somehow a part of the text and thanks to that, he could
develop his company to one of the biggest corporation in the
world. Here, I'll give you translations of two names:
"Yakumo = (Ya)eight (kumo)clouds
"KumoOtoko (title in Japanese) = (Kumo)Cloud (Otoko)man
"Ulmeida has gotten one Kumo (Cloud). Maybe that's why the
title was named 'Cloudman'. Well, this is what I think...".
Given the close relationship that the Yakumo, in Killer7,
shares with Japanese nationalism, it is pleasant to note that
the first recorded piece of Japanese poetry begins with the
very words "Ya kumo."
I would like to quote Patrick Smith's book "Japan: a
Reinterpretation" regarding this matter:
"The importance not only of belonging but of being hidden
within can be judged from the first lines of poetry Japan ever
produced:
"Eight clouds arise.
The eightfold fence of Izumo
Makes an eightfold fence
For the spouses to retire within.
Oh! that eightfold fence.
"These lines are about the whole of Japan. There were eight
clouds and eight fences because in the old chronicles Japan
consisted of eight islands."
During his brief scene, in SUNSET, Toru Fukushima described
the Yakumo as a policy that was created by the Union-Seven.
However, he expressed his revulsion with Japan as being too
weak of a nation to handle the power of the Yakumo. The
contents of the Yakumo are implied to be able to propel a
nation toward total domination of the world--or, at least,
primary control.
When I first played Killer7, my impulse was to regard the
phrase "U. N. Party" as indicative of the United Nations'
presence in the fictional universe. However, the U. N. Party
is not the United Nations. Travis' speech is most useful in
determining the role and identity of the U. N. Party.
Travis says: "Japan is controlled by the United Nations Party.
If the UN Party goes down, Japan's minority party will take
control. In other words, the Liberal Party would take the
reigns. There's some nasty shit cooking in this restaurant.
And it ain't momma's fried chicken."
During his brief scene at the start of SUNSET PART TWO,
Kurahashi says that all of the U. N. Party's efforts will be
destroyed, and that they have been in motion for "65 years"
since Japan's American occupation at the end of World War II.
Most historical resources seem to agree that Japan's struggle
after World War II involved two major ideological forces: the
liberal, individualistic ideas that wanted to depart from
Japan's culturally historical means of thinking and acting--
and the conservative, collectivistic ideas that wanted to
return the government to the control of an oligarchic shadow-
government and the pursuit of Shinto and Bushido ideals.
If we judge the political quality of the U. N. Party by their
apparent means of self-government (Kurahashi and Akiba reveal
that they dealt with succession by killing their elders) and
their contrast to the Liberal Party, we may conclude that the
Yakumo--as a governmental policy developed by the Union-Seven-
-is enmeshed in those conservative Japanese ideals.
Another historical departure might be useful, now. Japanese
foreign policy was established early in the second millenium
of the Christian calendar as "Hakko Ichiu." The ideology holds
that the Japanese emperor is not merely the sovereign
authority over the Japanese people, but over all people of all
races. The self-righteousness of their cultural self-
perception was manipulated easily during the Second World War
by Japanese Emperor Hirohiko (also a high Shinto priest who
very much believed in his own deity) into justification for
all types of nationalistic aggression. Translated, the foreign
policy aims to bring "all the eight corners of the world under
the roof of Japan."
The U. N. Party comes from this cultural tradition. The
Yakumo--a policy of "eight clouds," implying the literary
association with the first Japanese poetic expression of
nationalistic identity--seems to be a renovated form of "Hakko
Ichiu."
Further, this policy may have been developed strictly for
Japanese execution, but (as Fukushima admits) Japan is too
weak to implement it on her own.
Now, let's look a little at the supposed history of the U. N.
Party. Fukushima appears to be the party's leader. After all,
his political clout is the reason he is the Killer7's target
in SUNSET. Fukushima explains that he became frustrated with
Japanese politics, because of its inability to become anything
more than play-acting upon a stage. Yet, he explains, he got a
call one day from someone asking if he would like to be "an
architect."
Two questions stem from this root: first, who called
Fukushima; second, what sort of architecture?
I'll answer them in reverse order. The architecture is
Japanese; it is deliberate, I think, that Fukushima's estate
is so Japanese you can taste the Pocky. It is the only
location that is idiosyncratically Japanese in the whole game-
-even moreso than Battleship Island. The cultural history
implied by Fukushima's restaurant's architecture, along with
his description of his work as that of "an architect,"
suggests that the more abstract and political "architecture"
he designed was an extension of Japanese, Shinto-based
imperialism.
As for his caller--I think he was (who else) Kun Lan. Akiba
and Kurahashi seem to recognize Kun Lan easily enough, when he
appears to them and Matsuoka. Most probably, Kun Lan is the
head of the U. N. Party; by extension, it would make sense
that Kun Lan would have recruited Fukushima to create a
governmental structure--the U. N. Party--through which the
Yakumo could be realized in the field of world politics.
So--what are the eight clouds?
I'm unsure, exactly. It might be good, though, to consider who
possessed the Yakumo at what times. Fukushima was supposed to
have had the Yakumo, but Julie Kisagi appears not to have
found it on him--even going to far as to demand it of H. H.!
At the KAKU Building (where the second half of SUNSET occurs),
DePaul's ghost says that Matsuoka has the Yakumo.
When we speak to Ulmeyda's ghost in Curtis Blackburn's home,
during the second part of ENCOUNTER, he says that he gave
Clemence (the boy who was featured at the end of CLOUDMAN) the
Yakumo. Clearly, Ulmeyda possessed some measure of the
Yakumo's wisdom. The postal clerk describes Ulmeyda as "an
asshole" who seemed to have gotten lucky, and who seemed to
have risen out of nothing to his current status. Ulmeyda is
regarded by the townspeople as a mysterious local who rose to
prominence through his corporation "First Life," yet we learn
from Ulmeyda that the company doesn't exist: they simply run
commercials.
Ulmeyda's success, it seems, is owed to the governing ideals
and methods described in the Yakumo.
"But wait!" you may say. "Travis said that the Yakumo had the
power to let the United States dominate the world! If Ulmeyda
had the Yakumo, why didn't the do just that?!"
I answer: because he was a postal clerk. He's neither the
United States nor the U. N. Party. Even Garcian says of
Ulmeyda (when Master Harman asks if Ulmeyda is a
revolutionary), "No sir, no one of that calibre." Despite the
admittedly sadistic whims he displayed--such as destroying an
entire stadium during a concert and subjecting his heir to
"driving yourself to death"--he clearly possessed some
humanitarian impulses. Even though his decision to inject
himself with lethal diseases was a self-oriented action, to
make himself feel alive by courting death, his decision to
make his blood available for others to immunize them against
those diseases is humanitarian, surely.
I think that the Ulmeyda episode illustrates the manner in
which the Yakumo serves as an extension of the Shinto-based
policy of "Hakko Ichiu." In Andrei Ulmeyda, we see the
convergence of political leadership (he runs the town that has
his name) and religious leadership (he has a cult). However,
Ulmeyda's simplicity as a man and a leader only allows him to
create a facade of government. (Notice how that giant
corporate cathedral fell down, as mere plywood, and revealed a
desert in which Ulmeyda tested the limits of both his and his
acolytes' bodies.) Understanding this makes the intervention
of the U. S. military at the end of the CLOUDMAN chapter more
sensible: they seem to have neutralized Ulmeyda to retrieve
the Yakumo, which the United States has been trying to get for
a year.
I initially thought that "Yakumo" referred to a political
party; however, it does not. It refers to the cabinet policy
of the United Nations Party within Japanese government. The
irony of the party's name becomes more apparent, when we
recognize that the Yakumo is a revised version of "Hakko
Ichiu": a surface interpretation of the name "United Nations"
would lead a person to think that Japan had renounced its
attitude of racial entitlement to global rulership, and wish
to become united with other nations; however, since the nature
of their cabinet policy is nothing more than a revision of the
same ideology that led to the belief of racial entitlement,
they are claiming (oppositely) that they want to unite all
nations--UNDER JAPANESE RULE.
The curious thing about the Yakumo, to a Western (and
specifically American) mind, is its implied blending of
spiritual and governmental activity. On the one hand, it is a
governmental party's policy, and therefore it is governmental,
practical, executable; on the other hand, it seems to be
communicated only after harsh spiritual experiences, such as
Matsuoka's "enlightenment" by Kun Lan in the introductory
sequence of SUNSET PART TWO. In understanding this, it will be
important to remember the cultural tradition out of which the
"Hakko Ichiu" policy and, in turn, the Yakumo are derived.
Shinto religion held that the Japanese Emperor was supreme
over all, as a governmental authority as well as a spiritual
authority. Nationalism and government were inextricable from
spiritual identity. In his biography "Hirohito and the Making
of Modern Japan," author Herbert P. Bix writes of "Hakko
Ichiu" (also called "the Imperial Way"): "The 'imperial way'
was a motivating political theology sprung from the idea of
the emperor as the literally living embodiment of Japan past
and present, a paradigm of moral excellence all should follow.
The term denoted a kind of ideological warfare but also, on
the other hand, an action plan. It was designed to make Japan
free of all externally derived isms, such as Western
democracy, liberalism, individualism, and communism. Free to
be itself only, the nation would regain self-esteem and be
able to wage a 'holy' war of ideas against Western political
doctrines." For an incredible span of world history, Japan
violently resisted involvement with Western culture. At one
point, early after Western culture's introduction to Japan,
the Japanese took all Japanese and non-Japanese Christians,
physically crucified them, and displayed the crucified
practitioners of Western culture on the islands' coasts--so
that all Western ships passing by would know what sort of
welcome to expect.
Emperor Hirohito is described by Bix as having believed in his
own deity: "In a wooden building in the southeast corner of
the palace compound, he regularly performed complicated
rituals that clearly implied his faith in his mystical descent
from the gods, and the sacred nature of the Japanese state and
homeland." Hirohito continued to serve Japan, as emperor,
after their defeat and occupation during the Second World War.
Under his emperorship, then, the United Nations Party
developed and grew--the Yakumo was developed for execution by
what seemed to be a democratic nation, rather than a
theocracy--and Fukushima created the stable political
organization for the Yakumo to become active through.
Most American players--and I include myself in the category of
"most"--will see the theme of usurpation of American
democracy, during their first play-through of Killer7.
Understood against the cultural and historical tension of
post-World War II Japan, Killer7 is also the story of the
usurpation of Japanese democracy.
So, now that the Yakumo is understood, what can be said about
the political narrative of Killer7?
On July 3rd, 1998, the world trashed all of its nuclear
missiles and set up an island in the South Pacific for the
disposal of radioactive waste. Not all missiles were
destroyed, though: ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles)
remained.
I would like to quote the narration during the opening
animated film of SUNSET PART ONE: "The international society,
under the motto of 'Protecting the world from international
terrorism, ideology terrorism, and cyber-terrorism,' stopped
all air transportation and closed every network station in the
short span of two years, to reduce the likelihood of
terrorism. The world had changed.
"In the year 2002, a network of intercontinental expressways,
bridging the Atlantic Ocean, opened, connecting the two major
sides of the world. In the following year of 2003, the
construction of a mass scale distribution system began, and
the man-made landmass large as a city was built over an ocean.
The use and research of nuclear energy was banned, and all
radioactive waste and materials were disposed of at an energy
disposal facility in the Gibsoft Islands, a remote set of
islands off the coast of the Indian Ocean."
So--all this has happened. Soon afterward, though, a terrorist
group called "the Smiles" began attacking government meetings
and figures. Their modus operandi seemed to be to suicide-bomb
their targets. They were a hard group to catch, and--developed
to catch them--an underground society of assassins served to
kill targets who threatened the stability of the new-found
global peace. Among these, the group known as "the Killer7"
were supremely skilled.
Presumably, since the early 1980's, Coburn Elementary had been
taken over by the U. N. Party of Japan. There, they raised
children in the cultural image of the Yakumo. They taught that
the President of the United States was always decided upon by
"the Chairman of the Education Ministry." (This may be taken
as a misnomer for "the Secretary of Education," since the
American form of democratic government does not describe
itself in terms of "ministries.") In other words, they taught
that democracy did not exist--and they replaced the
ideological education of children under democracy with the
education of children under the Yakumo.
According to Hulbert's tapes, the children who graduated from
Coburn were prepared for post-graduation careers in government
service. In exchange for their service, Hulbert explains, they
were "promised their life." Those who did not comply with the
expectations of the United Nations Party and the Yakumo were
killed, although it is also highly probably that they were
deported and sold as orphans on the black market--or, they
were killed and their organs were sold on the black market.
Other students were recruited to serve as assassins, in the
interest of defending and supporting the Yakumo.
In 2010, a terrorist group called "the Heaven Smiles" began
attacking the United States. Their organization was unknown,
as was their leader. They were most troublesome, as
terrorists, because of their relative invisibility. Only one
counter-terrorist group (the Killer7) could see and kill
Heaven Smiles. In all, there seemed to be three "types" of
Heaven Smiles: first, people who looked human and wore strange
smiles; second, Heaven Smiles borne from eggs out of egg-
machines; third, Heaven Smiles cobbled together out of organs
harvested by black market organ sellers, like Pedro and Curtis
Blackburn.
Apart from the Heaven Smiles, tension existed between the East
and West--specifically, Japan and America--during the 1980's,
1990's, and first decade of the 21st century. Japan had become
a husk of a country, politically; it had so little political
clout, its most powerful political party (the U. N. Party)
cannot even appeal to the United States to save it from
imminent destruction. Missiles were fired from an unknown
Asian source at Japan, and, after much suspense, the United
States launched missiles westward across its Californian
border to stop the missiles of unknown origin.
Why did the United States launch its missiles to defend Japan,
when it seemed the entire U. N. Party was finished? Because of
Coburn graduates, subordinate to Matsuken, who held positions
in American government.
Over the course of the next year, the Heaven Smile problem
became more unmanageable. Military research on captured Heaven
Smiles had enabled the United States military to extract a
viral serum that, when injected into a host, would turn the
individual into a Heaven Smile. Seeking to test their
concoction on a man with high viral resistance, the U. S.
military assaulted cult leader Andrei Ulmeyda and infected him
with their homebrew strain. The virus overpowered Ulmeyda, and
the resulting transformation destroyed all of the military
officers present. The Killer7 group killed the Heaven Smile
diseased Ulmeyda, who passed his spiritual legacy (and the
Yakumo) on to Clemence, his chosen heir.
Later that year, Curtis Blackburn--a former officer of the
self-defense department--raided the Immigration Headquarters.
His violence prompted the U. S. government to call (again)
upon the Killer7 group. The Killer7 group tracked Curtis to
ISZK LAND, an amusement park that served as a front for
Curtis' black market kidnapping ring. They confronted Curtis'
adopted protoge, Ayame Blackburn, and followed the escaping
bus (filled with kidnapped young girls) to Blackburn's
residence. After raiding Blackburn's home, killing Ayame, and
discovering Blackburn in a secret chamber beneath his estate's
swimming pool, Dan Smith of the Killer7 group slew Blackburn.
During the raid, it was discovered that Blackburn had traded
selling orphans on the black market for selling orphans'
organs on the black market. The organs were used for the
genetic cobbling of the experimental Heaven Smiles that the
Killer7 group had found during their otherworldly passage
through the Vinculum Gates.
With Blackburn killed, exportation of girls' organs slowed
significantly. Since Blackburn had killed his former cohort--
Pedro--the two oldest and most professional salers of black
market organs were dead. The production of experimental Heaven
Smiles slowed.
By this point in the story (around mid-2011), the Heaven
Smiles had become regarded practically as their own species.
They were deemed racially acceptable to exterminate. The
United States military--deciding against their former policy
of harnessing the Smiles' strength--purportedly developed the
group "the Handsome Men" in conjunction with Trevor
Pearlharbor (a clairvoyant comic book artist) to combat the
Heaven Smiles. However, they abandoned their plan and turned
on Pearlharbor when his clairvoyance departed from their
interests, resulting in the assassination of a Democratic
Party senator by the Handsome Men.
The Handsome Men became regarded as terrorist threats
themselves, and the Killer7 group was dispatched to kill
Trevor Pearlharbor--who was believed to have been the guiding
force of the team of heroes-turned-terrorists. The Killer7
invaded Trevor Pearlharbor's home in the Dominican Lost City.
When they discovered Pearlharbor on his veranda, drawing, Dan
Smith confronted Handsome Black, who was summoned by Trevor to
stop Dan Smith. Handsome Black, however, turned on Trevor who
died confused as to why his clairvoyance had failed. Dan Smith
killed Handsome Black, and the remainder of the Handsome Men
vowed to avenge Handsome Black's death by a formal duel in
Times Square, New York.
The Handsome Men and Killer7 group battled one-on-one in Times
Square. When the final confrontation came between Handsome
Pink and Garcian Smith, Handsome Pink transformed into her
alter ego, known only as LOVE. LOVE revealed herself as the
force responsible for the Handsome Men, and gave the Handsome
Men up to their losses at the hands of the Killer7 group.
The Presidential elections passed (in 2011, for some reason),
and the Republican candidate was elected President.
In winter of that year, the Killer7 was sent to contact and
capture Kenjiro Matsuoka--the recognized leader of Japan's U.
N. Party and the possessor of the Yakumo. Matsuoka received
information that he was targeted by the Killer7, and used his
informant's advice to locate Hiro Sakai. Having located Sakai,
Matsuoka tortured and killed him, making his death seem like a
suicide.
After a long, self-revelatory journey between Washington State
and Pennsylvania, the Killer7 group became pared down to Emir
Parkreiner. Emir overtly joined hands with Kenjiro Matsuken to
work together and eradicate the Heaven Smiles.
Three years later, on Battleship Island, Matsuken had trapped
the final Heaven Smile. Emir arrived to dispose of the curse
for good.
Here, the path splits, and the words of Linda Vermillion (the
assassin who killed Mills) come back to mind: "See the system
with your own eyes, and then decide." Emir chooses whether he
believes in Western democratic ideals (by killing Matsuken and
destroying the remains of the Yakumo)--or if he believes in
the Japanese "imperial rule" revised in the Yakumo (by letting
Matsuken live).
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C: THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL (FOLKS) [#IIC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On 22 November 1942, Emir Parkreiner is born.
Among other levels of significance, Emir Parkreined is symbolic of
Japan's national well-being. He is born at the time when the
Japanese imperialist Empire is at its strongest, historically.
In 1946, as alluded to by one of the Japanese diplomats during
the introductory sequence to SUNSET, the atomic bombs are
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the period during which
Japan is an occupied nation begins.
As a reflection of Japan, Emir naturally would be aligned with
Kun Lan--in Harman's hemisphere. With the ultimate
establishment of Modern Japan--out of the Western remodeling
of Occupied Japan--it may be inferred that Kun Lan's powers
weakened, correspondingly. This may account for Emir
Parkreiner's recorded death in 1952--it corresponds with the
"death" of isolationist Japan. However, as Japan was "reborn"
into Modern Japan, Emir also was reborn.
Hulbert's tapes indicate that Emir was "living with his
parents at the time of his death." Who else would be the
father of the Soul of Japan, but Kun Lan himself? This
implies, of course, that Emir has a mother. I assume that Emir
would have endured his "rebirth," while still in his mother's
care.
It may seem improbable that Emir's physical life and death
would correspond with the life and death of a
political/cultural body, but I think that the symbolism is
intended, to evince the game's general statements about the
relationship between Japan and America.
Thus, Emir Parkreiner's second cycle of life begins around
1952. He would be ten years old at the outset of the Civil
Rights movement; he would be twenty when the Civil Rights
movement had reached full swing. The narrative supplied by Kun
Lan, during Garcian's first visit to the "Forbidden Room,"
applies to Emir's second cycle of life. I will provide a
transcript of the dialogue, to keep the reference present
alongside my argument.
Kun Lan: "There once was a young man who had a promising
future. The centerback position was his to keep, and no one
could take that away from him. Any play was a fair play; no
one blew the whistle on him. Everybody loved him. Not to
mention his campus sweetheart. Oh, she was something! They
were the perfect couple. He graduated from Columbia with an
MBA. His opportunity was infinite. He could do whatever he
wanted with his life . . . but was he satisfied? No! Every
night he would cry, begging the Lord; something deep within
needed awakening. Then one day it happened....that moment,
when the subconscious rises to the surface. Well, the way it
triggered was very simple: it happened when his mother came on
to him one night. As if the spirit of Jack the Ripper had
taken over his body, he stabbed and stabbed until you couldn't
tell who she was. You know what I think? An angel whispered
into his ear. The angel gave him the exta courage he needed,
to give her the divine retribution she deserved."
H. H.: "Sure she wasn't . . . a Hell's angel?"
Kun Lan: "I'm pretty sure she only had good intentions."
H. H.: ". . . you really are a villain."
Kun Lan: "I had nothing to do with it . . . but I must admit,
my memory has become a bit misty these days."
During Emir Parkreiner's second cycle of life, he was a star
football player, had a great girlfriend in college, and--in
general--turned out to be the All-American Ideal.
Yet, despite his attainment of the All-American Ideal,
"something deep within needed awakening." That "something," I
think, was the buried memory of his earlier incarnation--as a
child of Kun Lan. Here we have one of the layers of irony: the
soul of Japan, reincarnated into the body of the All-American
Ideal, wrestling with a painful emergence of identity. Kun
Lan's coyness strongly suggests that he is accountable not
only for Emir's awakening--but what awakening within him.
Such an awakening could not have occurred, though. Thirty
years after Emir's reincarnation--in 1983--a new diplomatic
relationship between Japan and America was established,
through Ronald Reagan's formal address to the Japanese
legislature. This indicated a crucial change for Japanese and
American culture. In the same manner that Emir's soul
reincarnated when Modern Japan was formed, his Japan-Soul-
Inside-The-All-American-Ideal ruptured and caused another
reincarnation. The crucible for this rebirth, though, was much
darker.
As a young man, during his second cycle of life, he held
within himself both the Soul-of-Japan and the All-American-
Ideal--both of which resided in his genetic memory. (Remember,
Emir has special DNA; I expect that his "immortal" qualities
allow him to retain the memory of previous incarnations.)
During his second cycle of life, his mother tried to sexually
molest him. Something in the act of molestation brought forth
the tensions that had been boiling within him, spiritually,
since his birth in 1942. Perhaps, it can be chalked up to the
fact that the taboo against mother-son incest is one of the
few cultural similarities between the East and the West--
allowing him to judge him using the full force of both Eastern
and Western parts of his soul. When he slew his mother, he
reincarnated again--awakened, now, but uncontrollable.
H. H. and Kun Lan, likely, were aware of his trifold
existences. By positing Emir Parkreiner's unaccounted history
above, we can account for his age at the time of the murders
of the Harman Assassins, the time of his recorded birth and
death, as well as the events of the narrative supplied by Kun
Lan in the forbidden room that--owing to cinematic techniques
that deflect the stress of the story onto Garcian--most
probably describe Emir's past.
H. H. appears not to have known about Emir's dark awakening,
at Kun Lan's behest. (Note that H. H.'s line, "You really are
a villain," refers both to the atrocity of awakening Emir's
darkness--and prompting the slaying of his ex-wife.) Since Kun
Lan awakened Emir--and since the "government" of United
Nations Party members within the U. S. government are
reflections of Kun Lan's activity--they naturally would have
been led to find Emir and place him in Coburn.
At this point, Emir is a loose cannon. He is uncontrollable
because he lacks the ability to identify himself as either
Japan or America. In the terminology of games, he is the Joker
card: neither one thing nor the other, but with the potential
to be both at any given moment.
Now--we need to cut away from Emir Parkreiner, and look at
Harman Smith.
Harman Smith is the man who was once the Principal of Coburn.
At the time of Hulbert's cassette tapes' recording, Hulbert
says (of Harman): "He's the key person linked to some
underground organization." Note the tense that Hulbert uses:
"He is--". This implies that Hulbert has no reason to believe
that Harman is dead, at the time of the recording.
Let's do a little bit of symbol-digging, to try and figure out
when Harman was killed along with the Harman Assassins.
The full moon is a symbol of transformation. It throbs full
screen while each mission loads. As well, when Garcian sees
Emir standing, dazed, atop the Union Hotel, the full moon is
in the background. I take the persistence of the full moon as
a symbol that the Harman Assassins--and Harman himself--were
killed during a full moon. If, as I think, Emir has killed
Harman and crew just before killing Hulbert, then Harman and
the Assassins were killed a full three days befor the
recording of Hulbert's cassette tapes.
If you look at a lunar calendar, for the month of November in
the year 1996, you'll see that the date described as the time
of Hulbert's first recording falls three days after the full
moon. Hulbert says that he begins recording on "the fourth
Thursday in November." This also places Emir's assassination
of Harman and his Assassins very close to the Presidential
election, which Hulbert describes as being a few days from the
time of his first recording.
So--why would Emir choose to kill Harman Smith, his mentor,
during the full moon--along with the other Harman Assassins?
Simply put, Harman Smith is a type of anti-Christ figure. He
looks like H. H. and talks like H. H. Yet, he is in league
directly with Kun Lan. I think that, because of his alliance
with Kun Lan, he is given Kun Lan's power of light and
resurrection.
Travis describes himself as "the chief's first kill." He also
dates his death at "thirty years ago," seemingly parallel to
the promise of diplomatic responsibility offered by Reagan in
his address to the Japanese Diet. He describes himself as "the
killer who got killed on the job."
I think that Travis was the first assassin sent to kill
Harman, and that Harman had never actually killed before
Travis. If the diplomatic unity between Japan and America are
regarded as H. H.'s victory over Kun Lan, then it seems
natural that H. H. would want to neutralize the most violent
threat to the stability: Harman Smith, then Principal of
Coburn.
I think that Travis is the reason why Harman gathered the
Harman Assassins together. Not only did Harman Smith perceive
that his own life was in danger, but he perceived that the
interests of his boss--Kun Lan--were in danger. So, the Harman
Assassins were gathered together from a diverse range of
killers across the North American continent.
We're at the point in the long-term timeline, now, when Emir
kills everyone: 25 November 1996, the full moon of November.
The next question is: how does Emir know where everyone is
staying? I suspect that Yoon Hyun tipped off Emir, while Yoon
Hyun was still alive.
As we know from the locations of the Soul Shells in the first
part of SMILE, and the locations of the Harman Assassins'
deaths in the second part of SMILE, the Soul Shells correspond
with each of the Assassins' deaths. Yet, a seventh shell is
found--outside the same Suite where Garcian finds Harman
Smith, with Johnny Gagnon.
I think that this means that Emir killed Harman in the lobby
area of the Suite. He took the body back to Coburn--all the
way back to Washington State. This would put Emir's return to
Coburn at almost the same time that Hulbert infiltrates the
building, looking for answers for the investigative committee.
Hulbert describes Emir as "an ace brought out by the Yakumo."
That means that, somewhere in all of this, Kun Lan's plans are
on track. This, I think, accounts for Kun Lan's presence,
denoted by the strange laughter that Hulbert reports having
heard. While Hulbert is snooping around for clues to aid his
investigation, Emir has taken Harman Smith's body to the
Principal's Office--and stuffed it in the safe.
We see a red scar appear across Garcian's forehead, when he
opens the safe that Harman's body was stuffed into. SUDA 51
has commented on this moment, in an interview: "His awakening
as a bloodthirsty ghoul is represented by having a 3rd eye. In
the High School, Garcian's eye bleeding is shown as a way of
indicating that he was in conflict with his past memories and
that his eye was beginning to open." I take this to imply that
Emir's third eye literally began to appear when he stuffed
Harman Smith's body into the safe. (This might also suggest
why we never see Harman--in any of his forms--standing up,
except for his playble form as Young Harman. Emir must have
broken his back at least once stuffing him in there.)
The awakening of Emir's Third Eye, I think, accounts for the
"surreal" phenomena that Hulbert experiences in the school. He
has inherited Harman Smith's vision ring--as well as the Third
Eye. The spirits of the remnant psyches have gathered around
Emir, and they are becoming bound to him. "Inside the walls of
this school, the voices continue to echo," describe's
Hulbert's presence during the formation of Garcian--the
Killer7--and Kun Lan's binding into Iwazaru.
So, what is the significance of Emir's name changing to
"Garcian?" "Garcian" may have significance as a play off the
French word "Garcon," or "servant." The change in his names
likewise reflects his change from Kun Lan's home-bred messiah-
-and into H. H.'s personal task force, unified under the
powers previously held by Harman Smith.
Again, the ironies stand out: Harman Smith, a messianic image
of H. H., is aligned with Kun Lan--and Emir Parkreiner, a
messianic image begotten by Kun Lan, is reigned by H. H.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
D: THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL (GHOSTS) [#IID]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The ghosts are the souls of the dead and the living, as they
interact with supersensual beings (such as Emir Parkreiner and
Harman Smith).
There are two types of ghosts in Killer7: Personae and Remnant
Psyches.
Personae are ghosts who have been killed, and who have been
bound in such a way that they are wholly controlled by H. H.
and Garcian. Master Harman--who is in the wheelchair in
Garcian's trailer--is the "Harman" on the spiritual level.
Why, then, does he need a caretaker (Samantha)? Why is he
physical and able to interact with living people?
The important thing to note about the Personae is that they
are ghosts who can be given PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. The themes of
death and rebirth run all through Killer7; when one persona is
dispersed, it "dies," and the physical manifestation of
another persona forms out of the dispersed physical material
that comprised the FIRST persona's body.
This is why Trevor Pearlharbor and Curtis Blackburn can see
Killer7 as Dan Smith. This is why Jean DePaul can see Killer7
as MASK De Smith.
The Remnant Psyches are the ghosts who have been killed by
either Harman Smith or the Killer7, and who have been bound to
the psychic matrix formed around the former Emir Parkreiner at
Coburn, in 1996. Some of the Remnant Psyches stick around of
their own accord; some of them stick around because they are
forced into service, such as Iwazaru.
The gameplay sequences all take place on the spiritual level
of the narrative. Even the Heaven Smiles exist on the
spiritual level, although some of them may bear human
appearance on the individual level. When you are playing
through the game, with the exception of scripted events, you
are Smith--the general combination of the Personae.
While playing through Killer7, I was perplexed at who the
Remnant Psyches addressed when I spoke to them. I could deduce
a few things: at the end of ANGEL, Travis addresses the player
as "Emir," and the player is forced to speak to him as
Garcian. Therefore, Travis recognizes Garcian as distinct from
the other Personae. Susie addresses whomever approaches her as
"Smith," suggesting her awareness of the multiplicity of the
player's identity--and, also, her uncertainty as to who is the
"true" character. Therefore, she addresses the player by the
name common to all the Personae: Smith.
Iwazaru addresses the player as Master, and he seems be
uninterested to differentiate between the Personae, when he
addresses Master. He speaks to the core energy of the
Personae. When he explains his grudge against the current fad
of abbreviations (at the beginning of SUNSET PART TWO), he
says that he would abbreviate the Master with "M. The Big M."
None of the Personae have a name that begins with M--except
MASK, who is clearly a secondary figure to Iwazaru since he is
referred to with distrust in ANGEL.
Travis seems to have the best grasp on who he's talking to,
spiritually. He generally refers to the player as "chief," who
is distinct from Garcian as the leader. His former master was
Harman Smith, who Travis recognizes as being nullified as an
active force--which implies that Travis, at least, regards
Master Harman as the real listener.
Master Harman, then, is a Persona, given physical expression,
in need of at least superficial care. With the exception of
Samantha, no one knows that Master Harman exists in Garcian's
trailer. When Garcian explains Master Harman's disappearance
to Mills, Mills awkwardly tries to find a way to explain that
Harman has been dead (to him) for years.
In discerning Master Harman's nature--as distinct from the
mortal nature of Harman Smith and the immortal nature of H.
H.--I think the best place to look is the television. In one
of his letters, Johnny Gagnon writes: "The members switch
using the medium of television. But I have yet to determine
what governs the switches." Notice the differences between the
television, when accessed from Harman's Room in the field--and
Harman's Room in the trailer. When in the trailer, Garcian can
only access Master Harman; the other Personae--even his own--
are not selectable. When in the field, the other Personae are
present and selectable--yet, Master Harman is not in the room.
Master Harman governs the switches. When Garcian is in the
field, I think that Master Harman actually manifests himself
AS HARMAN'S ROOM. When we are inside Harman's Room, in the
field, we are inside Harman himself. From within Master
Harman, we can access the other Personae and wake them up; we
can give the surgeon (also Master Harman) blood from our kills
and strengthen him; we can save our progress, when Samantha is
in a mood to serve. Samantha's felicity in saving the game is
a reflection of Master Harman's experience with her, as a
caretaker: she only does her job one eighth of the time, and
the rest of the time she's slacking off or behaving abusively.
Why is Master Harman catatonic most of the time, then?
Master Harman's catatonia is a safeguard of H. H., to prevent
Harman Smith's spirit from becoming uncontrollable. When he
was given a physical body and free will, Harman Smith allied
himself with Kun Lan. He became a traitor. When H. H. had Emir
kill Harman Smith, he incorporated Harman Smith's ghost into
the whole psychic matrix--but, he did so in such a way that
would leave Harman Smith unable to betray H. H. again.
Master Harman is what happened to Harman Smith, when his ghost
was incorporated into the psychic matrix as a Persona. Since
most of the vital energy of the whole psychic matrix exists
within Garcian, Harman Smith's Persona can only become
activated if Garcian chooses to engage him. Here, then, is the
safeguard: Master Harman can only become active when Garcian
wishes to activate him--and, he can only speak and act
according to the ways in which Garcian desires him to speak
and act. Garcian desires a Shogun-like master: therefore,
Master Harman speaks to Garcian in the tone of a warlord
sending a loyal soldier on a mission. Master Harman only
carries authority because Garcian wants him to have authority.
Garcian serves as both the lock and the key for Harman Smith's
psyche. When Master Harman disappears--as Garcian explains to
Mills--something happens that H. H. didn't expect. As the
chess game parallels the dramatic events on the spiritual
level of the narrative, let's look at what happens in that
game, when Master Harman disappears:
Kun Lan: "Check." *moves*
H. H.: "What a coincidence. Check." *moves*
Kun Lan: "This time, the game is mine." *moves*
Kun Lan appears to have made a surprise move that nullified
the defense that H. H. established, in the chess game. This
"surprise move" is reflected on the spiritual level of
narrative, in the awakening of Harman Smith's Persona.
How did Harman Smith's Persona awaken? Johnny Gagnon.
While we don't know how, Gagnon is implied to have clairvoyant
powers. He can perceive and communicate how Garcian and the
Killer7 use the medium of television to communicate. However,
he cannot perceive the Remnant Psyches, which is implied by
his observations of KAEDE:
"Kaede Smith spurts blood from her arms. What a sick sight!
And then what did she do? She flattened a wall, right before
my eyes. She must have taken out some kind of barrier. That's
what Kaede's blood can do! Sometimes her arm sucks blood.
That's some stuff I didn't need to see, either!"
He attributes KAEDE's barrier-breaking abilities to her blood
alone, and he does not mention Iwazaru's wife. His accounts of
the deaths of the Remnant Psyches are historical observations,
rather than explanations of the ghosts who he sees around the
Killer7. He also believes that the Harman Assassins are a
different group from the Smith Syndicate.
In his final letter, he writes: "I asked Master Harman. Asked
him to kill you."
Given Johnny Gagnon's extraordinary resourcefulness in digging
up information, it is likely that he found Master Harman in
Garcian's trailer and "used all of [his] resources" to wake up
Harman Smith.
Johnny Gagnon is Kun Lan's secret piece, used at the right
time to make a devastating move against H. H. Emir Parkreiner
has been asleep for years; H. H. would have no interest in
dispersing the veritable powerhouse he has in the Killer7.
Only Kun Lan has the motivation or power to have instigated
Gagnon's investigation, by prompting Gagnon to gradually
awaken Emir from his identity as Garcian. In the process of
awakening Emir, Gagnon also awakened Harman Smith.
The experience of rebirth, in most instances, involves a death
to past life and a clean slate. When Emir Parkreiner became
incorporated in the psychic matrix that deconstructed and
reformed his soul, he was "reborn," albeit not as an infant.
He was "reborn" as a monster, a shape-shifter. However, in
most religious beliefs of reincarnation, a reincarnated
person's former identities are accessible still, as memories.
Certain chance encounters with objects and experiences, in a
current life, that associate with an earlier life may bring
about a recognition of memory that was buried at the time of
rebirth.
Gagnon's purpose is to give information to Garcian--and to
Master Harman, who experiences everything that Garcian does in
the field--that other people will not provide. It is implied
that the people around Garcian deliberately shield him from
his own history, since Mills apparently knew about Garcian's
belief in Harman's existence WHILE KNOWING that Harman was
dead, physically. Gagnon was used as an informant who did not
know the consequences of giving information. As Master Harman
gained more information through Gagnon's letters, he began to
awaken from his sedation--and more fully became Harman Smith.
When Garcian meets Harman Smith for the first time, in SMILE
PART ONE, Harman Smith directs Garcian to Coburn Elementary so
that Garcian can retrace, finally, the buried history that led
to his present identity. However, Harman Smith is not fully as
strong as he might become. He reappears, briefly, in Harman's
Room in Garcian's trailer as a subdued Persona, between SMILE
PART ONE and SMILE PART TWO. As well, he seems to remain
attached to Garcian's physical presence, given his immobility.
(Notice that, even after he's awakened to his identity as
Harman Smith, he is still never seen standing.)
Only after Garcian finally learns his original name--Emir
Parkreiner--can Harman Smith separate himself from Garcian's
control. As Garcian moves through the Union Hotel, during
SMILE PART TWO, he revisits each of the Personae's death.
Without the Vision Ring, Garcian cannot retain the Personae
any longer; when he remembers how he killed each of the
Personae, he is forced to confront the fact that he--Emir--is
psychologically distinct from the given Persona. In other
words, when he revisits his murder of Kevin Smith, in the
lobby, he must recognize psychologically: "I am myself, and
you are not me. Because we are not the same person, I can kill
you." As he realizes that he is NOT the Killer7--but only Emir
Parkreiner--each of the Personae enter into the Forbidden Room
and excuse themselves from H. H.'s service.
During the second Forbidden Room scene, Kun Lan snidely
remarks that "[they've] been interrupted again." H. H. then
asks, "Has another come to surface?"
Kun Lan's dialogue implies that they have been visited
recently by successive people. H. H.'s dialogue implies that
these visitations are the "surfacing" of people. I propose
that, here, Kun Lan and H. H. allude to their experience of
Garcian's awakening into his identity as Emir. As Garcian
revisits each murder, the spirit of the victim "surfaces" like
a bubble--that is, he or she rises to the top of the hotel,
through the elevator, and enters the Forbidden Room. These
events occur parallel to Garcian's loss of each Persona,
because he can no longer identify himself AS them.
When Garcian enters into the Forbidden Room, the second time,
Harman Smith (having traveled with him) kills the impressions
of both Kun Lan and H. H. Afterward, Garcian goes to the roof
and frees himself from Harman Smith's power, by killing the
Third Eye on his teenage self. He opens the case, sees the
Killer7's weapons, and collapses: bewildered and truly alone.
Here, the credits roll: Emir Parkreiner has become whole
again. The consequences are two-fold. First, he is aware of
himself, completely. Second, he is alone for the first time,
spiritually, since his birth in 1942.
Afterward, Emir Parkreiner assumes his identity without the
Killer7, as the true son of Kun Lan. While he is alone,
spiritually, he is not yet free of the spirits that associated
with him. Since H. H.'s psychic matrix has been dissipated,
the Remnant Psyche of Kun Lan--Iwazaru--is now free. The sole
influence left within Emir is the diminuitive Kun Lan. Because
of this, he cooperates with Matsuoka. Without Kun Lan around
to control the Heaven Smiles, the Heaven Smiles no longer act
in the interest of terrorizing America alone.
As the leader of the Japanese people, Matsuoka desires to
protect Japan from the Heaven Smiles, who are now without
their Shogun, Kun Lan. Three years pass: Emir and Matsuken
work together to eradicate the Heaven Smiles. Emir seems to
have retained his reputation as a shape-shifter, since
Matsuoka says to Emir: "You boys are almost done. You don't
need to go around killing everybody anymore." Without the
balance of H. H.'s presence within his soul, Emir becomes
violent under the impulses of the diminuitive Kun Lan.
Yet, Emir also possesses some free will. Because he possesses
free will, he can decide whether or not to kill Matsuoka. If
Kun Lan were fully in charge of Emir, he would not have
allowed Matsuoka--and the Yakumo--to die.
What happens to Emir, after the credits roll?
There's absolutely nothing in the game that so much as hints
at what happens to Emir after the end. However, I will hazard
a guess, based on the rules that seem to govern the spiritual
universe of Killer7.
When Emir kills Kun Lan's spiritual remainder, he becomes
mortal. His immortal qualities have depended upon his identity
as his father's son--as the son of an immortal, cosmic being.
When he kills the last Heaven Smile, he destroys the last
shred of immortality within himself and becomes only human.
This fate, I think, explains why Matsuoka says: "No more
terrorism, hail to the free world. But I wonder, what'll
become of you guys if terrorism is the law of nature? You
know, you should kill me now, because you don't want us
hanging around. Know what I mean? If I'm alive, I'll give you
a run for your money--even an assassin like yourself. Better
be prepared, because blood must atone for blood."
As an "adopted son" of Kun Lan, Matsuoka has insight into
Emir's existence that most people do not. If the last Heaven
Smile is also the last bit of immortality left in Emir, then
Matsuoka knows that Emir will be mortal and MUCH less powerful
after killing the remainder of Kun Lan. "If terrorism is the
law of nature," then Emir will have a lot of people after him-
-and he won't have the resources left to defend himself.
Emir will not be reborn. His death is the end of his cycles of
life, and the end of the drama until Shanghai, 100 years
later.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
III: SYMBOLISM [#III]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While the game is rife with symbolism, two issues seem most
frequently called to the audience's attention: first, the dis-
tinction between forces of good and evil; second, the use of
chess as a metaphor for the events of the game. I would like
to use this section to address these issues exclusively.
Other symbols are present in the game, even if they are not
mentioned in this section. In other sections of this document,
I have addressed less significant symbols as they have seemed
relevant to the story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(A) YIN-YANG VS GOD-DEVIL INTERPRETATION OF HARMAN
AND KUN LAN [#IIIA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I think that the yin/yang VS God/Satan issue can be resolved
by looking at the theme of hybridization that permeates the
game. The color schemes in the game suggest that a yin/yang
interpretation is valid: H. H. wears all black, and Kun Lan
wears all white. Yet, there's even a reversal here, because H.
H. controls white chess pieces, while Kun Lan controls black
chess pieces. The yin/yang distinction is a decidedly Eastern
dichotemy; a more Western dichotemy is the God/Satan
distinction, which alludes more to the Western spiritual
tradition of Zoroastrianism.
There are ironies laid out all over the place. Harman is the
Yin: passive, white-dressed-in-black. Kun Lan is the Yang:
active, associated with light. Yet, Harman's "Queen" piece is
Garcian: black-dressed-in-white. In the Eastern sense, Harman
and Kun Lan are complementary opposites; yet, along the more
Western lines of Zoroastrian spirituality, they use the
elements of the world to dramatize their struggles with each
other.
I don't think that they are impossible to discern, though,
simply because they are ironies. Part of thesignificance of
Kun Lan's irony, for example, is that he is the active
principle of the East (Yang)--associated with light and
heaven--and, yet, in the symbolism of the West, he is
associated with Lucifer, the light-bearer who masquerades as
an angel.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(B) CHESS [#IIIB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Think about Emir's "rebirth," at the time of Reagan's address
to the Japanese Diet, in 1983. Now, think about his movement
to the age of thirteen, when he kills the Harman Assassins and
gains the power that we control, as players, during the game.
This suggests to me the act of promotion, in a game of chess.
When a pawn reaches the other end of the chess board--and has
completely infiltrated the other player's territory--it
becomes promoted to whatever piece the player would like,
usually a queen.
Consider, then, that young Emir Parkreiner was Harman's pawn--
reborn as a queen, with all of the abilities of movement of
the other pieces (except, of course, for the knight).
Consider, also, that in addition to the pawns, there are seven
chess pieces besides the Queen in an opening chess set-up.
Harman would be the king: essentially immobile, and, yet, the
most precious and valuable.
Con and Coyote would be the knights: able to move in ways that
the other pieces cannot.
KAEDE and Kevin would be bishops: able to move in diagonals,
as a way of getting around obstacles that would take more
effort to confront head-on, such as KAEDE's barrier breaking
skills and long shot, and Kevin's invisibility.
MASK and Dan would be rooks: no-bones-about-it, head on power.
If the player talks to Iwazaru outside of the Ladies'
Restroom, during SMILE-PART 2, Iwazaru comments on "those
two," though the people referred to are not specified: "But,
who are those two? Acting like kings . . . ." While it is
uncertain whether Iwazaru comments upon Harman Smith and
Johnny Gagnon, sitting in the 7th floor Suite, or Kun Lan and
H. H., sitting in the rooftop Suite, his language suggests a
connection between Kun Lan and H. H., if we take the chess
metaphor.
As the Kings of the metaphorical chess game, Kun Lan and H. H.
are "immune" from the effects of the activity occuring on the
playing board. The noteworthy laziness--even malaise--that Kun
Lan and H. H. exhibit when Harman Smith enters the room
suggests that the game has become unwinnable by either Kun Lan
OR H. H. In other words, the game is a stalemate.
Harman Smith decides who "wins" the chess game by totally
annihilating both kings. He tries to destroy the whole game.
This is contrasted with Emir's decision, near the end of the
LION mission, when Emir is forced to choose between the United
States or Japan. Cosmically, the stalemate was resolved when
Harman Smith annihilated Kun Lan and H. H. Politically, the
stalemate was resolved when Emir Parkreiner chose to save the
United States or Japan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IV: HISTORY LESSONS [#IV]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As I stated in the preceding section of this document with
respect to symbolism, this section intends to call the reader's
attention to specific historical occasions that seem relevant
to this document's interpretation of the events of Killer7.
However, not all of the relevant historical allusions are covered
in this section. Other relevant historical allusions are
explained in the sections where they are most relevant.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(A) RONALD REAGAN, THE JAPANESE DIET, AND NEW DIPLOMACY [#IVA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to explain what I think was meant by "the promise
made 30 years ago." Since Garcian delivers the quoted words in
2010, he indicates that the promise was made in 1980. I have
researched lightly Japanese-American diplomatic relationships
during 1980, and I discovered nothing significant. However, a
significant occasion occurs in 1983, when President Reagan
addressed the Japanese legislative assembly (the Diet). The
contents of his address seem to relate most closely with the
events of Killer7, and I think that it may be the "promise"
alluded to in the game.
I will highlight some of Reagan's remarks, and comment on
their relevance to the game. You can read the entire text of
the speech here:
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1983/111183a.htm
The outward, visible alternative political history of Killer7
starts in 1998, I think. Almost everything before 1998, in
real political history, can be considered relevant to the
game.
Reagan's address to the legislature--the Diet--was the first
formal address given by an American, to a Japanese political
group, in a very long time. It marked a new understanding of
Japanese-American relationships. The diplomatic interests are
clear in Reagan's speech: "The bonds of friendship which unite
us are even greater than the ocean which divides us." And,
later: "Japan will not have to bear the burden of defending
freedom alone. America is your partner. We will bear that
burden together."
As well, the speech emphasizes the parallel development of
Japan and the United States: "In 6 years you will celebrate
your 100th anniversary of representative government in Japan,
just as we will celebrate the birth of our own Congress. I
bring you the best wishes and heartfelt greetings from your
American counterparts, the Congress of the United States."
Taken in the context of the fictional history of Killer7, some
of Reagan's remarks foreshadow the dissolution of airlines and
commerce, in the interest of retarding terrorism: "Our two
great nations, working with others, must preserve the values
and freedoms out societies have struggled so hard to achieve.
Nor should our partnership for peace, prosperity, and freedom
be considered a quest for competing goals. We cannot prosper
unless we are secure, and we cannot be secure unless we are
free." It is worth noting that the siezure of airlines, as a
way of retarding terrorism, was given historical precedent
well before September 11, 2001; a while before Reagan's speech
to the Diet, over the Sea of Japan, 269 people were killed
when a Japanese civilian airplane was shot down.
Reagan remarks upon one of the hottest issues of the times,
which we see reach a half-conclusion in "the missile shows":
"Arms control must mean arms reductions. America is doing its
part. As I pledged to the United Nations less than 2 months
ago, the United States will accept any equitable, verifiable
agreement that stabilizes forces at lower levels than
currently exist. We want significant reductions, and we're
willing to compromise."
Even the Japanese "occupation" of the American government in
Killer7 is foreshadowed. Reagan comments upon the Japanese
economy's strengths, over the United States', and says:
"Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't further our friendship by
sending our Congress here and you coming over and occupying
our Capitol Building for a while."
I believe that the political circumstances in Killer7 are
science-fiction extrapolations of Japanese-American diplomatic
relations, as they are communicated in Reagan's speech. I
wrote that I thought that Hulbert's cassettes were recorded in
2000, but now I change my mind. I think that they are recorded
in 1996. I think it more probable that electoral suspicion
would arise in a president who was so interested in pursuing
the goals of global disarmament, that he would dissolve some
of the sovereignty that separates America from Japan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(B) WORLD WAR II ALLUSIONS [#IVB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Emir is noted as having died on 28 April 1952. This date
corresponds to the exact day before the end of Japan's post-
World War II occupation, and the beginning of modern Japan.
The occupation of Japan involved Japanese disarmament, as well
as the establishment of a new Japanese political Constitution-
-drafted and finalized in the image of the American
Constitution.
The comic book artist's name is Trevor Pearlharbor. The
allusion in his last name is screamingly obvious to anyone
raised in the American school system. It is significant that
Trevor Pearlharbor is the comic writer who designs and
narrates the adventures of the Handsome Men--and that the
Handsome Men (according to Mills) are a force designed by the
military to combat the Japan-affiliated Heaven Smiles.
The role of the Handsome Men, of course, is subverted. They
are used to assassinate American political figures--and,
ultimately, used to assassinate Trevor Pearlharbor himself.
While they appear to originate from the United States, they
turn out to be controlled by Kun Lan. Kun Lan's appearance at
the very end of the ALTER EGO chapter--as he puts down a video
game controller, after the faux-credits of a Capcom fighting
game scroll past--suggest that they were his characters to
control in his and H. H.'s "game."
Before I get to further discussion of the World War II
symbolism, I'd like to note one narrative parallel: as I have
stated in an earlier post, Garcian can switch between the six
main members of the Killer7, because he stays behind at the
television. A subtle layer of irony work, here: Garcian
controls the Killer7 from the television screen, just like we
(as players) control Garcian and the other six characters from
our television screen. When we see Kun Lan on the other side
of the monitor, putting down his controller, after watching
the faux-credits, we (as players) as being addressed somewhat
directly. We have played a scripted game of "Handsome Men
Online Battle" against Kun Lan, over a fictional online game.
In the opening of Sunset, Part 2, one of the old men says:
"For 65 year, we give everything we have to restoring this
country. Now, all our efforts will end up in smoke once again,
by the hand of the same country that put us here." If 65 is
subtracted from the date of this statement (2010), we find
that the year referred to is 1945--the year of Germany and
Japan's defeat by the Allied Powers. As well, this is the same
yeat that the United Nations charter was signed. It is also
(importantly) the year in which the Atomic Bomb was used
against Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(C) NOVEMBER 1942 [#IVC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Emir Parkreiner was born in 1942--the year that the Japanese
Empire was at its height. You may view a map of its land
possesssions here:
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/pacwar.gif
The only remarkable information that I've been able to dig up
about Japanese war activity during November 1942 is (1) the
Battle of Tassafaronga, and (2) the naval battle of
Guadacanal. My natural knowledge of World War II is
unimpressive, therefore much of my information is the result
of immediate research. In general, 1942 was a very, very good
year for Japan. November, specifically, saw Japan endure (and,
in one instance, win) a couple of naval battles that--judging
from the numbers--they shouldn't have won.
Emir was born when Japan was at its height, as an Empire.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
V: QUESTION AND ANSWER [#V]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here, I will address specific questions that have recurred on
message boards and via eMail sent to me, from readers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A--[Q]: Who are Harman Smith, H. H., and Master Harman? Why
are you describing Harman as three people? [#VA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: "Harman Smith" is the man who used to be principal of the
school visited in the "Smile" chapter. He was the man who ran
the school that trained Japanese terrorists, and he was also
the man who was Emir Parkreiner's mentor. He was an agent of
Japan, and in league with Kun Lan; as an agent of Kun Lan, he
is granted power from the "Hand of God": he can resurrect
whomever he wants.
"Master Harman" is the man who Garcian addresses as "Master
Harman." He lives in the room in the trailer-house, and he is
taken care of by Samantha. He is the Remnant Psyche of Harman
Smith. Due to the circumstances that led Emir (as an agent of
God) to kill Harman Smith, he is subdued in a wheelchair. He
can only act and speak, when Emir turns to him on the
television--and, when he acts and speaks, he acts and speaks
as the voice of H. H., who I will now describe.
"H. H." is "Hasidic Harman." He is the man who wears
traditional Jewish men's clothing. He is an eternal figure,
and his power complements the power of Kun Lan. Kun Lan has
the "Hand of God," which enables him to bestow life on
whomever he pleases. H. H. (Hasidic Harman) has the power of
the "God-killer," meaning he can kill those creations of Kun
Lan that normal people are unable to destroy. You see H. H. at
the chessboard with Kun Lan, and you also see him at the ends
of Angel and Lion. Anytime you see one of the three Harmans
interacting with Kun Lan, it's H. H.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
B--[Q]: You describe Kun Lan as a Devil-figure, yet he has the
"Hand of God;" also, you describe H. H. as a God-figure,
yet he is designated the "God-killer." Aren't these
contradictory? [#VB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think it is significant that Kun Lan has the "Hand of
God," whereas H. H. is the "God Killer." Each represents
different aspects of existence: life and death. If we assume
that President Harman was under the control/mentorship of Kun
Lan, then it seems more natural that President Harman would
have the power of Kun Lan: the power to give life.
Some see Kun Lan's ability to give life as proof that he is
the holy part of the pair; oppositely, I see him as the unholy
part. He may create life, but the ends to which he creates
life are twisted. H. H. may destroy life, but he destroys the
twisted life created by Kun Lan.
Also, I think it's worth noting that many of the people who
the Killer7 kill over the course of the game show up as
Remnant Psyches-and thank Killer7 for having killed them! A
person who kills psychopathically expresses hatred for life;
their true desire is to die themselves. As the death-half of
the divine presences in the game, H. H. uses the Killer7 to
murder those who want death. In a sense, he delivers both
mercy and retribution at the same time!
I think it is ironic that the characters who serve Kun Lan-the
life-giving divine figure-desire death more than anything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
C--[Q]: What's the deal with the surveillance cameras? [#VC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that their locations a due mostly to narrative
convenience. For instance, when Travis addresses Garcian as
"Emir," the cameras are set up deliberately to ensure that you
will play as Garcian during that sequence-and, again, set up
deliberately to ensure that you will face Kun Lan as H. H.,
rather than Garcian.
I believe that the cameras are connected to the "medium of
television," as Johnny Gagnon puts it. I also think it's
connected to the overlapping layers of the narrative.
Think about it this way: when you watch television, you
control what you watch, because you can change the channel.
When you operate a cam-corder, however, you experience an
added level of control: you control what you watch, and you
alter the content insofar as your power as director allows.
The television represents Garcian's free will, with respect to
his use of personas. When you play as any of the six main
characters of the Killer7, Garcian is not selectable from the
Smiths menu. This implies that all of the Smith characters are
present, on screen, yet Garcian is not. Likewise, when you
select Garcian, none of the other characters are available
under the Smith menu. When one of the personas is selected,
from within Harman's Room, I believe that Garcian stays in
Harman's Room; when you switch characters in the middle of
gameplay, Garcian has changed channels, within Harman's room.
This also explains why none of the other characters are
selectable, when you play as Garcian: none of them can change
the channels, and the channel-changer is out in the field.
The camera, though, represents H. H.'s control of Garcian.
Garcian cannot select when to use H. H. in the field; H. H.
apparently chooses this of his own accord, and he uses the
medium of the cam-corder to do so. Notice that the first time
Garcian changes under the view of the cam-corder, he turns
into Dan; Dan then looks up at the camera, with both surprise
and recognition. The transformation has been enforced upon
Garcian, according to H. H.'s will.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
D--[Q]: What do the Handsome Men have to do with anything? [#VD]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: The Handsome Men serve a number of purposes, to the plot.
One of those purposes, I think, is the continuation of the
theme of creations-turning-against-their-creators. Just as
Trevor Pearlharbor is killed by the Handsome Men, Kun Lan and
H. H. are killed by Young Harman--who is both of their
creation. (Similarly, as I believe that Emir is the son of Kun
Lan, he turns against his "creators," by killing his mother
and eventually killing his father.)
The "video game" layer of the ALTER EGO mission takes the game
to a more metaphorical level. We see Kun Lan putting down a
controller, after we watch the credits for what looks like an
online fighting game made by Capcom. This implies that we, as
players, have been playing an online video game against Kun
Lan.
In terms of a formal analysis of Killer7--meaning, an analysis
of the form used to present the narrative--the "video game"
layer of ALTER EGO connects to the means of using a television
to switch between personalities. Recall that Garcian can
change Smiths, when he is not selectable from the pause menu--
which implies that all of the Smiths are in the field, while
he has stayed behind in Harman's Room. He is controlling the
Smiths from afar, using a television screen--much as we, the
players, are controlling the Smiths in their virtual world,
using a television screen. One might even posit that Garcian
is controlling the Smiths in exactly the same way that we, as
players, are controlling the Smiths: in a virtual sense, as
though playing a game.
Throughout all of the "game-playing," controlling the Smiths
from afar, Garcian has been battling the Heaven Smiles--the
cultish army of Kun Lan. As we learn by the end of ALTER EGO,
the Handsome Men were controlled by Kun Lan. The image of Kun
Lan putting down a game controller puts everything I have just
discussed into the context of Kun Lan and H. H.'s "game."
This also relates to greater meaning of the game, beyond the
specific details of the plot: how Eastern and Western cultures
have intermingled and influenced each other. It is important
that 1983--the year that Reagan addressed the Diet--was also
around the time that Japanese pop culture began to influence
Western, American culture more apparently. I think
specifically of the greater appearance of anime, as well as
the domination of Japanese-made video games. At least three of
the bosses of Killer7 (the Angel in ANGEL; Ayame Blackburn in
ENCOUNTER; and the Handsome Men in ALTER EGO) are made in the
image of stock types out of Japanese anime and manga: the
seraphic figure head; the Sailor Moon-esque schoolgirl who
transforms into a fighter for justice; and the team of
futuristic, helmet-wearing martial artists.
<1980's-fanboy> I'm sure that some of the younger generation
reading this are jumping up and exclaiming, "But those weren't
Japanese characters who the Handsome Men were parodies of!
They were parodies of the Power Rangers, who were American pop
icons!" I'll let you know that the Power Rangers--much to the
disgust of many of my generation--were mere copies of VOLTRON,
who preceded the Power Rangers by at least ten years and were
infinitely better. 1980's-fanboy>
The mere fact that we, as gamers, garner so much of our
entertainment and our favorite myths from video games attests
to the cultural "invasion" of the East. I think that this is
one of the over-arching messages of Killer7.
I should note, here, that VOLTRON was not the first embodiment
of normal-people-who-gain-awesome-powers-and-dress-up-to-
fight-evil, in Japanese entertainment. The whole motif falls
under the general description of Sentai--or, if there are
gigantic robots involved, Super Sentai. A number of readers
have pointed this out, and the knowledge has led to an
extension of my thought regarding the significance of the
Handsome Men.
According to my resources, "sentai" loosely means "task
force." The term was originally employed by the Japanese Army
Air Force, in reference to their fighting squadrons.
The Handsome Men kill Trevor Pearlharbor--just like the World
War II Sentai bombed Pearl Harbor. There seems to be an
implied connection between Japanese pop culture, and Japanese
military aggression.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
E--[Q]: So, Kun Lan was Iwazaru? Why is he in Garcian's
basement? [#VE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that this goes back to my assertion that Kun Lan
was originally inside Principal Harmon--and, then, Emir "ate"
Principal Harmon's powers, granting him the Third Eye. Since
Garcian can resurrect his fallen members--a power inherited
from President Harman, who (in turn) had inherited it from Kun
Lan--it may be reasonable to assume that a remnant psyche of
Kun Lan exists somewhere within Garcian's psyche. Since H. H.
overwhelmed Kun Lan when Emir killed President Harman, Kun Lan
appears within Garcian's psyche as a defeated character: bound
in bondage gear and subservient.
I don't think that Kun Lan has remained active within
Garcian's psyche, opposing Harman in the form of Iwazaru; I
think that Izawaru is the remnant psyche of Kun Lan's earlier
habitation of Principal Harman. In the same way that Principal
Harman (as an aspect or avatar of H. H.) contradicted the
spiritual being in whose image he was made, Iwazaru
contradicts the fact that he has been made in Kun Lan's image.
I don't think that he was in Garcian's basement. First, I've
lived in trailers. They don't have basements--especially not
as spacious as the area that Garcian chased Iwazaru/Kun Lan
through. Second, Garcian's trailer seems connected with
Battleship Island, outside of the boundaries of space-time.
The Forbidden Room door leads to a suite on the top floor of
the Union Hotel, and the Basement door leads to a winding
network of passages in Battleship Island. These strange
alterations of space-time represent the cosmic nature of
Garcian's existence, as well as the psychological qualities of
each room's inhabitant.
At the end, we see H. H. asleep on the floor of Harman's Room.
While H. H. is asleep, Kun Lan (AKA, Iwazaru) is loose and
alive. Emir kills Iwazaru/Kun Lan and effectively frees
himself from the influence of his father. Kun Lan's presence
in Garcian's basement suggests strongly the subconscious
memory of Kun Lan, as a father figure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
F--[Q]: What's the deal with the Vinculum Gate and the Gateman
and the Coliseum? [#VF]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: The Vinculum Gate is a sort of barrier set up by Kun Lan,
to prevent H. H.'s Killer7 from getting to their goal. Think
of it as a "castle" move, from chess. A Vinculum, literally,
is a mathematical mark used to connect two ideas together.
Since the Vinculum Gate transcends space-time, it takes the
Killer7 through the Coliseum--which, by the end of the game,
we know is the base of Japanese military strength, Battleship
Island. Also, importantly, Battleship Island is the
experimentation headquarters, for the creation of new types of
Heaven Smiles.
Markus Pfeffer, a German reader of this document, has eMailed me
with the observation that the German version of the game trans-
lates "Vinculum Gate" as "knotentor." In German, this means
"knot door." This description of the Vinculum Gate is excellent,
since it conveys both the nature of the door as a "connector," as
the motion of the on-screen character through it. Notice that
the character goes straight through the Gateman's Hallway, into
the Coliseum, and then takes a curve. Then, from within the
area where the Killer7 fights the new Heaven Smile, the character
runs straight--only to appear out of the SIDE DOOR of the Gateman's
Room! Then, the character enters the left hallway, from the
Gateman's Room.
The character's physical movement represents a knot tied in a
piece of rope, ending with the parallel placement of two pieces
of the rope.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
G--[Q]: What's all that terrible screaming in Garcian's
trailer? [#VG]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that it's the remnant psyche of Principal Harman,
AKA Harman Smith. He's bound and immobile--a juxtaposition to
Iwazaru, who is also bound and immobile. (Note that Iwazaru
can only move via his bungee cord, vertically, whereas Harman
can only move via his wheelchair, horizontally.) Since
Principal Harman is doped up, owing to his binding, he has all
the coherency and grace of an Alzheimer's patient on crystal
methamphetemine.
As well, we know from the end of LION that Iwazaru's "home" is in
the Basement section of Garcian's Trailerhouse. In the field of
action, Kun Lan is bound as Iwazaru; however, at home, as we see
in the final segment of LION, Iwazaru has his bond released. His
fetishist bulb is removed from his mouth. It is also likely that
the screaming is also the noise made by the captive image of Kun
Lan, in the Basement of Garcian's Trailerhouse.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
H--[Q]: Who gunned down Kun Lan and H. H. during the second
cut-scene of the Forbidden Room? [#VH]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Good old Harman Smith.
Notice that H. H. looks at the person who enters the Forbidden
Room and says, "Well. Look who it is. Haven't seen you in a
long time." When I first watched this scene, I thought that H.
H. spoke with inappropriate condescension to Garcian. As well,
his remark that he hadn't "seen [him] in a long time" didn't
make sense, since he was in fairly regular communication with
Garcian.
Then, I figured it out: He spoke condescendingly, because he
was addressing the Remnant Psyche of Principal Harman. He had
obvious disdain for the man who looked like him, but betrayed
him.
Further, as we see when we play as Harman Smith in Killer8,
Harman is the only character with a Tommy Gun, which is what
seems to have been used against Kun Lan and H. H.
It seems that old President Harman knew his number was up, as
a Remnant Psyche. The six main killers of the original Killer7
had already been laid to rest: as soon as Garcian destroyed
the Third Eye on Emir, President Harman's Remnant Psyche would
be released, too. He took the last possible chance he had to
get revenge on the two divine beings who had caused so much
havoc in his life.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I--[Q]: In the LION mission, how can Garcian/Emir run from the
Coliseum (in the Pacific Ocean) to his trailer (in
northwest America) to the Coliseum again? [#VI]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that Garcian's Trailer-House, the Forbidden Room
of the Union Hotel, and the Coliseum are all connected-and I
mean physically, though not concretely.
Lemme try to unknot that for you. For reasons that are never
explained directly, the Coliseum (in the Pacific Ocean) goes
down to a sublevel-where you can walk into Garcian's living
room. This is either a tremendous glitch, or an important
detail.
Likewise, the basement of Garcian's Trailer-House goes down
into the depths of the Coliseum. Somehow, he is able to run
about fifty feet on an island in the Atlantic Ocean and make a
detour by his kitchen, in Washington State.
Similarly, Garcian is able to walk through the back door to
his Trailer-House, and walk into the top floor suite of a
hotel in Pennsylvania. (Note that I think that the room he
walks into, after finding Samantha dead, is the top floor of
the Union Hotel. Look through the windows during the cutscene:
you'll see atmosphere that you shouldn't be able to see from
the one floor of a Trailer-House.)
A couple of other things strike me as odd about the set up.
The most major one is the fact that it's a Trailer-House.
Those things don't even have basements. Likewise, unless it is
a double-wide, I can't imagine having enough room for a large
room, like the suite. The second fact-more subtly-comes from
something Kun Lan says, during gunning scene in the Forbidden
Room. He says, "Time here is warped."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
J--[Q]: What happened with H. H. and Kun Lan, during the first
scene in the Forbidden Room? [#VJ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I believe that the two freak out, because "things are
astir." (Not a quote from the game; my own phrase off set by
quotations.) Samantha is dead; Harman is gone; and Garcian has
just overheard them describe the trauma of his past. Clearly,
things are going a little rustier than they expect, in
Garcian's mind.
An interesting aspect of the divine/immortal beings in Killer7
is that they depend upon human beings, as hosts or vessels. At
the time of the gunning scene in the Forbidden Room, both Kun
Lan and H. H. seem fatigued-bored, even. I think that this is
because both of their "vessels" have disintegrated: H. H. is
losing Garcian/Emir, and Kun Lan has just lost Nightmare.
Their chess game has even come to a halt-the game they love
more than anything. Without their physical vessels, the chess
game (which is a symbol of all of the activities in the human
world) cannot resolve because neither divine being has the
energy he needs to play.
I don't think that Garcian could have entered the Forbidden
Room, from his Trailer-House, unless the remnant psyche of
Principal Harman had awoken. The remnant psyche of Harman is
the sole layer between Garcian and H. H.--and with that layer
absent, Garcian can intrude upon the very working of the
spiritual fabric that dictates historical events.
One important difference between the two Forbidden Room scenes
is how Garcian and Harman react to the presences of H. H. and
Kun Lan. Garcian only gives them a little shock. Harman mows
them Al Capone style. Harman's got a lot more rage pent up
than Garcian does, apparently.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
K--[Q]: The whole set-up with the gymnasium at Coburn seemed a
little deliberate. Who set it up? [#VK]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I expect that Kun Lan set it up. If he can dissolve
Garcian's spiritual balance (psychotic though it may be), he
can unravel H. H.'s vessel--and, therefore, gain the upper
hand. To do this, he has to awaken Garcian to his past
identity: Emir.
Note how the entire scenario in the gymnasium plays out like a
chess game, visually; also note how it plays out like a trap.
A number of Heaven Smiles appear, and they are equal to the
number of personas within Garcian. They are totally black,
like Kun Lan's chess pieces. And they take them out, one-by-
one, diagonally, like pawns taking more powerful pieces on the
board. (Also note that Garcian's suit is white--the color of
H. H.'s pieces.)
I expect that the flaw in Kun Lan's plan came from the
Benjamin Keane. Kun Lan likely expected Nightmare to be ready
for Garcian, with the Golden Gun and black Heaven Smiles at
his command. However, the Ben Keane caught him off guard and
hoisted him on the stage rack.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
L--[Q]: Why would Benjamin Keane kill Greg Nightmare? [#VL]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Greg Nightmare who controls Coburn--and, by consequence,
controls who will become the next President of the U. S. A.
Keane didn't win the "election" like he hoped.
In other words, Ben Keane wanted the elections rigged in his
favor--so, when this didn't happen, he rigged Greg Nightmare!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
M--[Q]: What's the deal with the Golden Gun? [#VM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Think of the Golden Gun as a holy sword. The Golden Gun
was Emir's token, I think. The usual signifiers are at work:
the gun is made of gold, connoting that it is special;
further, it is the weapon of an agent possessed by God (or a
God-analog); as well, it is made of the metal that was deemed
most holy by alchemists. (Nevermind the fact that an actual
golden gun would melt after the first few shots.)
The black Heaven Smiles, I think, are pure Heaven Smiles. I
think they are the raw essence of the evil within a Heaven
Smile, without a human host. Previously, the Killer7s' guns
could kill the Heaven Smiles, because they could kill the
physical body of the host. Now, they cannot, since no physical
body is present. Nightmare is in possession of the Golden Gun,
to keep Garcian away from the one weapon that will work
against the black Heaven Smiles. Note, also, that Garcian
lacks the Vision Ring. He most probably sees the Heaven
Smiles, now, as those three victims in ANGEL saw them.
The Golden Gun may have been a reference to the popular James
Bond movies, which are also referred to in Johnny Gagnon's
"Pigeon Letters." (The names of the pigeons are also the names
of women characters in the films.}
-----------------------------------------------------------------
N--[Q]: The game doesn't give a specific date for the
recording of Hulbert's cassette tapes, in the SMILE
chapter. How do you come up with the year 1996? [#VN]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Hulbert opens the first tape, by explaining: "It's been a
few days since the Presidential election. Today's the fourth
Thursday in November."
So, let's look at election years. The last one we had was in
2004, and they occur every four years. These are the
possibilities, then: 2000, 1996, 1992, 1988, 1984, 1980, 1976,
1972, 1968, 1964, 1960, 1956, and 1952. I stop at 1952,
because this is the election year closest to Emir's death.
Hulbert describes Emir's birthdate as "1942," and then pauses
and says, "That's over 50 years ago."
From this, I conclude that the recording of the cassettes
comes at least 50 years since 1942. 1942 plus 50 equals 1992.
The first cassette tape explains that the first cassette is
recorded during an presidential election year. I assume that
the only election years in question are 1996 and 2000, because
the election of 2004 would have been at least 60 years since
1942. Given that it seems likely that Hulbert would have
expressed the time span in tens, I think that 2004 is too late
of a date to place the recording of his cassettes.
Between 1996 and 2000, I choose 1996. The intro movie of
SUNSET describes the resolution to ban nuclear weapons in July
3, 1998. It seems more likely that concern would arise (with
respect to electoral validity) given the later developments to
stop all international commerce.
To quote the narrator, again: "The international society,
under the motto of 'Protecting the world from international
terrorism, ideology terrorism, and cyber-terrorism,' stopped
all air transportation and closed every network station in the
short span of two years, to reduce the likelihood of
terrorism. The world had changed.
"In the year 2002, a network of intercontinental expressways,
bridging the Atlantic Ocean, opened, connecting the two major
sides of the world. In the following year of 2003, the
construction of a mass scale distribution system began, and
the man-made landmass large as a city was built over an ocean.
The use and research of nuclear energy was banned, and all
radioactive waste and materials were disposed of at an energy
disposal facility in the Gibsoft Islands, a remote set of
islands off the coast of the Indian Ocean."
In other words, the resolutions of 1998 began a process that
resulted in U. S. cooperation in a global unification of the
economy. Note that Hulbert's communication comes a few days
after the election--meaning, someone suspected fraudulent
practices only a short time after the election had taken
place. Since the winner of the 1996 election is held
responsible for the U. S. policy changes that resulted in the
1998 resolutions, I expect that that was the year of Hulbert's
cassettes' recording.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
O--[Q]: Who's the guy sitting next to Harman Smith, in the
Union Hotel? [#VO]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Quick answer: he's Johnny Gagnon.
Johnny Gagnon's last letter narrates that Harman Smith was
laughing with him. Laughter, of course, is Kun Lan's calling
card. We also know that Kenjiro has been touched by Kun Lan,
from the intro scene to Sunset, Part 2. Since Harman Smith--in
the suite of the Union Hotel--is aligned with Kun Lan, and
since his identity is the Harman who worked with the Yakumo, I
believe that he and Kenjiro would cooperate with each other.
When Harman Smith explains that he already sent Kenjiro away,
I believe that he sent Kenjiro away to make a hit on the man
who is seen gagged, and who falls off the building.
Harman tells Garcian that he "handed over" Kenjiro, to get
Garcian to go to the school. Johnny Gagnon knows what Garcian
looks like--but not what Emir looks like. In his mind, Garcian
(as part of the Killer7/Harman's Assassins) is distinct from
Emir. Therefore, when Harman tells Garcian that "the man you
are looking for" is at the school, Johnny thinks that Garcian
is going to kill Emir.
Between the time that Garcian goes to the school, and the time
that he returns, Harman Smith has killed Johnny Gagnon, and
Johnny Gagnon is a remnant psyche of Harman Smith. In other
words, the man who we see handing Harman Smith the hat is a
subservient ghost of Johnny Gagnon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
P--[Q]: Who's the man who falls from the roof of the building,
in the opening to SMILE? [#VP]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that the man who falls off the building is Hiro
Sakai, Garcian's contact at the opening of SUNSET, Part 2.
Since Harman Smith would have been "within" Garcian at the
time that Garcian met with Hiro Sakai, he would know that Hiro
was an agent against the Yakumo's agenda.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q--[Q]: What is that song that Emir whistles, during the
flashback sequences of SMILE? [#VQ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: The tune is "Greensleeves," and the music is named so in
the credits. However, other players and I think that the music
is intended to reference "What Child Is This?"
The main reason given against interpreting the music as "What
Child Is This?" is that the credits do not list the song as
"What Child Is This?" Despite this discrepancy, a number of
reasons exist that favor the interpretation of the music as
"What Child Is This?"
First, there's the literal matter of tune and song. The song
"What Child Is This?" puts lyrics to the tune of
"Greensleeves." Since no lyrics were sung, it's plausble that
the tune may be credited as "Greensleeves," while the song
"What Child Is This?" is the intended reference. Second,
there's the metaphorical matter of meaning. The themes of
divine incarnation and birth present in "What Child Is This?"
cohere more meaningfully with the themes of Killer7--as
opposed to the theme of "Greensleeves," which more often than
not is about romantic love.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
R--[Q]: Who's the woman who killed Mills? What's her purpose
in the story? [#VR]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A] Her name is "Linda Vermilion."
I think Linda Vermilion is a functional character, whose
purpose is to allude to contextual information that is useful
in understanding the plot. I don't think she's connected to
anyone, right now.
The reasons that I think she was introduced are mostly
technical reasons, relating to the story-telling. First,
Garcian needed someone for a contact, with Mills dead. Second,
Linda alludes to the dual functions of Mills and Garcian, as
assassins: they ostensibly work for the American government,
but they are forbidden to do anything "in the interest of the
country." Linda is positively spiteful toward Mills, when she
says, "Is making a move in the interest of the country an
assassin's job, too?"
Mills loved his job, I think, because he loved his country. He
was unaware that his country-or, at least, the part of it
through which he served-was corrupt.
It's also useful to note that Linda is Japanese-or, if not
Japanese, markedly Asian. It suggests that, even though
Garcian's orders appeared to be coming from a Western source
(a white American man with a New England accent), he was being
monitored by and controlled by an Asian source.
Most of this information is made directly available to the
player, later in the game; however, I think that it is
suggested by Linda's presence (I assumed all these things when
I saw her scene in the game, anyhow) as foreshadowing for the
revelations to come.
Also, she serves as one of the few definitely-human-characters
to interact with Garcian directly, and to react to him.
Garcian and Mills appear to have been working together for a
long time-enough to know each other's habits, certainly-and
Garcian clearly seemed unprepared for another contact who
would become irritated at his lack of punctuality. (At the
start of ANGEL, we see that Garcian has been on thirty formal
missions. I expect that he and Mills have worked together for
most of them-or, if not most of them, enough for them to have
developed a personal affection through their professional
relationship.)
Her interaction with Garcian also suggests Garcian's own
blindness. At least three people seem to know more than
Garcian does, about his own past: Mills ("Garcie, thirty years
ago-"), Linda ("Must be nice being you, able to come and go as
you please-"), and Matsuoka ("There are more important things-
like finding out who you are."). I don't think that any of
these characters have a whole vision of Garcian's/Emir's
history and circumstances, but they certainly know enough to
suspect a larger picture-and, until SMILE Part 2, Garcian
doesn't seem to know enough to cause him to doubt his
assumptions about his existence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
S--[Q]: The instruction booklet says that Dan wouldn't
hesitate to kill Harman. This never gets played out in
the game. What's up with that? [#VS]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Please read the entry titled "FALLEN ANGEL" in the
section "Things That Don't Belong Anywhere Else."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
T--[Q]: What's the purpose of the Ulmeyda episode
in the game? [#VT]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that the Ulmeyda episode is meant to illustrate a
few aspects of the Heaven Smiles, as well as show how
thoroughly the Yakumo had infiltrated the American government.
Ulmeyda's religion seems antithetical to the Heaven Smiles. I
draw this conclusion from a few instances: first, Ulmeyda's
followers do not bear the smiling, near-manic demeanor of the
Smiles; second, when Clarence (the boy who "wins" the car) is
pulled aside, he is ecstatic at having "won," but Ulmeyda
discourages his smiling because he'll "frighten off lady
luck;" and, third, he obviously fears the Heaven Smiles as a
disease, since he asks Garcian to kill him in the instance
that he is "infected" as one of them.
This illustrates a few things about the Heaven Smiles, I
think, on the cosmic level of the narrative. However, it
illustrates those characteristics of the Heaven Smiles, as
they are antithetical to Ulmeyda. Ulmeyda, importantly,
represents most of the characteristics of Western religion. As
we know from Clarence's monologue at the end of CLOUDMAN,
Ulmeyda's followers drank Ulmeyda's blood; this reflects the
ritual of the Last Supper, in Christian tradition. Further,
Ulmeyda delberately infected himself with various lethal
diseases, and overcame them. His blood is filled with numerous
antibodies to genuinely deadly diseases, giving his blood a
degree of "healing power," much as Christ's body is believed
to have held in the Christian tradition.
(It seems suggested, though, that Ulmeyda's blood also
contains traces of the original diseases. Notice the different
reactions in the military officer and Clarence, when each is
showered with Ulmeyda's blood. The military officer screams
and falls over, as though the blood were acidic; Clarence
simply tastes it and recognizes it as Ulmeyda's. This
suggests, to me, that Clarence had developed an immunity to
the diseases still in Ulmeyda's blood, owing to his earlier
drinking of Ulmeyda's blood.)
In fact, when we see Ulmeyda infected with the Heaven Smile
virus, we may be looking at the process of "conversion" to the
Heaven Smile cult.
The irony, here, is that the American military has infected
Ulmeyda with a disease that is the aggressive force of Kun
Lan--the East! I think that this is another instance of the
irony of East-in-West--Kun Lan's use of Western power, to
achieve mastery for the East.
Clarence, at the end, sells the car to Mills. Presumably, he
continues Ulmeyda's cult. In a way, he is the Saint Peter to
Ulmeyda's Christ.
Ulmeyda's real motivations seem to be what they appear. He
wants to do good things for humanity, yet he is only happy
living when he's risking death. (We learn this, when talking
to Ulmeyda's remnant psyche, post-CLOUDMAN mission.) In the
process of amassing his empire, he has (naturally) garnered a
lot of attention, and he fears being exploited by the Heaven
Smiles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
U--[Q]: That girl just appeared while I was fighting Handsome
Pink!!! WTF? Is this game SERIOUSLY punching my brain and
NOT apologizing!? [#VU]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: Yes. It is punching you in the brain and not apologizing.
Viva SUDA 51!
That girl introduces herself as LOVE. The short answer: she's
Trevor Pearlharbor's agent, and she is the one who really
controls the Handsome Men.
Here's the scene, since it's easy to miss stuff:
Garcian: "The girl's an avid gamer. Her world of games and the
real world co-exist as one."
LOVE: "Nice to meet you, Mister Killer Garcian. My name is
LOVE."
Garcian: "How do you know my name?"
LOVE: "Because I write the story, mister."
Garcian: "I don't follow."
LOVE: "Here's the thing, I work for Electro-inline Inc. I
create propaganda using media--you see?"
Garcian: "You're saying . . . that they're all Electro-
inline's advertisements."
LOVE: "That's why I'm gonna bring 'em down. I'll make 'em pay
for Trevor's death."
Garcian: "Can you really do it?"
LOVE: "I'll make sure justice is done. But in MY book though.
You be sure to check it out in next week's issue. I'm really
glad we met, Mister Killer Garcian."
Garcian: "The pleasure's all mine. LOVE, your passion is
inspiring to us all."
LOVE: "Thank you. I'll be watching you, mister."
*LOVE disappears*
First off: I am not sure if the company's name is "Electro-
inline." I'm uncertain of the written letters around where the
hyphen is.
In order to understand what LOVE is saying, we have to look at
what Travis says during the ALTER EGO mission. As he describes
Trevor, the comic artist is egoistical, arrogant, and elitist-
-he secludes himself from his artistic team. Travis explains
the rationale for the hit: "We all know the guy owes his
success to his representative's finesse. He doesn't have the
skill to make it on his own, thank you. Straight up, he puts
an angle on a comic, and the same shit goes down in the real,
3-dimensional world. The guy's a seer, man."
When Dan Smith walks into Trevor's veranda, it's clear that he
thinks the world of himself. He squeals, "I didn't think I had
such power!" He then brags that Dan can't kill him, because he
wrote the comic so that Dan will die. Trevor mistakes his
ability as a seer for the ability to create the future. He
brags about the superior strength of the Handsome Men, because
they are his creations.
Yet, he is killed by Handsome Black. Trevor Pearlharbor is a
fanboy unrequited.
The entire second half of ALTER EGO is akin to a blend between
a video game and reality--or, to speak from our side of the
television screen, a video game WITHIN A VIDEO GAME, and the
reality within the video game Killer7.
The video game that runs its credits notes that it is an
online game. This means, it could be played by LOVE from an
undisclosed location. LOVE is not present, physically;
Garcian and the Killer7, however, are. Even so, the space
created for the fight appears to be unreal, given the absence
of ANYONE in Times Square.
Since the space for the HAJIME fights is a synthetic creation
of a video game and reality, it follows that part of the space
is created by a television--on LOVE's end. This may account
for how all of the Killer7 (and Master Harman) can exist in
the same physical space, at the same time. All of them can
exist on different channels, in the television, and through
the combined television-reality of a video game they can all
share physical presence.
The purpose of the HAJIME fights is to destroy the Handsome
Men. LOVE is Trevor Pearlharbor's representative. She writes
the stories--Trevor "predicts" their outcome, and he takes
credit for it. In other words, LOVE is the person who
manipulates the Handsome Men through the medium of a video
game; Trevor is the person who takes credit for the
predictions and the actions of the Handsome Men.
Garcian and the Killer7 are sent to kill Trevor Pearlharbor,
because Trevor is the person who is responsible, publicly, for
a senator's assassination. However, the Handsome Men arrive
to assassinate Trevor, too--controlled by LOVE! Likely, she
sent the Handsome Men to kill Trevor, so that Trevor would
know (at the last moment) that he was powerless.
We can take away some useful observations, from the
conversation between Garcian and LOVE. First, they do not
regard each other as enemies; this is quite different from all
of the preceding interaction. She refers to Garcian as
"Killer Garcian," because that is the name that he will have
in the comic book. Remember, Mills showed Garcian the next
issue in which Harman Smith was portrayed as a monster, and
the Killer7 were named as the Handsome Men's next opponent.
That means that Garcian and the other members of Killer7 will
be in the issue, and they will likely have names patterned
similar to the Handsome Men's.
For example: "Handsome" is like a family name, and the
specific color designates the individual. So, you'll have
"Handsome Red" and "Handsome Blue," and you'll know they're
part of the same group because they're both "Handsome."
Similarly, you'll have "Killer Garcian" and "Killer Dan," and
you'll know they're part of the same group because they're
both "Killer." The language pattern reflects the Japanese
custom of placing a person's family name before his or her
personal name--suggesting that the comic book is an American
knock-off of Japanese Sentai motifs.
Therefore, when LOVE says, "That's why I'm gonna make them pay
for Trevor's death," she's speaking ironically. Garcian
smiles, and says, "Can you really do it?" with the incredulity
of a secondary character who hears a comic's lead character
vow to do something noble. (E.G.: "I'm off to kill Tetsuo!"
"Can you really do that?!") LOVE makes a point of
highlighting that "justice will be done" in HER book--not
Trevor's. She's killed Trevor, in other words, to advance her
own career.
Notice the trio of dots, on LOVE's hand. The camera focuses
on this little tattoo twice, suggesting that it is important.
The triangle, pointed upward (as LOVE's tattoo points)
symbolizes masculine power and fire. It also symbolizes the
Third Eye: two dots for the two normal eyes, and one dot for
the third.
Therefore, when Kun Lan appears on the other side of the
television screen, the trio of dots suggests that either LOVE
was being controlled by Kun Lan--or, that LOVE never existed,
but, rather, was a fa軋de adopted by Kun Lan for the sake of
the game. Sure, Kun Lan is male and LOVE is female--but how
easy is it to lie about one's gender over the internet?
Further, how much less willing to question the lie will a
person be, if the name tantalizes him, somehow, like "LOVE"?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
V--[Q]: How did Emir know that Harman and his assassins were
staying at the Hotel Union? [#VV]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: My belief is that Yoon Hyun tipped off Emir. I think so,
because of Johnny Gagnon's description of him, in his next-to-
last letter:
"The informant's name is Yoon-Hyun. He's the owner of the
Union Hotel Group. He met an untimely death at the Union Hotel
in Philadelphia. Many celebrities were at the reception, but
nevertheless, there were few witnesses to the murder, and many
of the facts don't add up. Yet one thing is for sure: he was
involved with the Smith syndicate. Rumor has it that an
incident that happened at the hotel was swept conveniently
under the rug."
Yoon-Hyun is an informant. As a member of the Smith syndicate,
he knew the whereabouts of the Harman Assassins--and, as the
owner of the Union Hotel (where the seven were murdered), he
knew which rooms they were staying in.
Why, then, would he betray the rest of the Smiths? A couple of
reasons suggest themselves to me.
The first reason is fairly easy, I think: as a likely Yakumo
affiliate, Yoon-Hyun would have been the best person for Emir
Parkreiner ("an ace of aces brought out by the Yakumo") to
contact for information. Since both Emir and Yoon-Hyun worked
for the same organization, Yoon-Hyun would have been loyal to
his greater master: the Yakumo.
The second reason is a little more difficult. The Remnant
Psyches all are represented metaphorically, I think. Travis
was a go-getter, so he's often shown exercising; Susie
frequently "lost her head," so she's shown disembodied; Kess
was a handbag of insecurities, so he's blind and constantly
beseiged by dreams of monsters; and Yoon-Hyun (I think) was
happily traitorous . . . for the right price.
Notice that, as an informant, Yoon-Hyun is happy to provide
general information and banter for free. If you want the real,
direct information, though, you have to shoot the mask and pay
up. Yoon-Hyun then addresses "the chief" and refers to himself
as "the True Mask." I think that this is a symbolic expression
of Yoon-Hyun's inner character, and how easily he was bought.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
W--[Q]: What's the deal with the Save Maid? Is she Samantha
Sitbon or Samantha Smith? [#VW]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: At the end of ANGEL, Samantha is introduced as "Samantha
Sitbon." However, I am informed that, in the Japanese release,
she is introduced as "Samantha Smith." In both releases, she
refers to herself as "Samantha Smith," in Johnny Gagnon's
final letter.
I would offer the explanation that Harman has identified with
Samantha Sitbon (who I call the Save Maid's real-world self--
the abusive caretaker), and has established a spiritual
connection with her that allows him to take advantage of her
identity as a Remnant Psyche--before she is actually dead.
When Harman Smith finally rapes and reaps her soul, she is
fully Samantha Smith--one of the Smith syndicate, in death.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
X--[Q]: What's Curtis Blackburn's deal? Did he just fly through
those corridors? [#VX]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: Yes. "How," you ask? Ninja magic.
Simply put, Curtis has Awesomeness, with a capital-A. He can
levitate down corridors; he can lie on the surface of water
and even use his Awesomeness to levitate upright and stand on
the water's skin. The man has 'leet skills.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Y--[Q]: Who is Ayame Blackburn? [#VY]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: In what may be one of the most memorable moments in my
video game career, Ayame Blackburn introduces herself as "the
Chairman of the Educational Guidance Council."
Ayame might have explained herself a little better for an
American audience unfamiliar with Japanese government and
bureaucratic structure. The Japanese government is very
similar to the government of the United Kingdom, employing
many of the same terms and relationships between structures as
does the government in the U.K. Either Ayame Blackburn is
confessing that she holds a position in the Japanese
educational system--or, she is confessing that she holds a
position in the American educational system which (in the
political universe of Killer7) is defined in terms of Japanese
bureaucratic structure.
The equivalant to American bureaucratic terms would be
something like "Chairman of the Board of Education," most
likely in the Seattle region, since this is where Curtis is
based and where Coburn elementary exists.
I have learned from various sources (which I will specifically
describe, when I have those bearings together) that Ayame
Blackburn is Curtis Blackburn's adopted daughter. She is about
sixteen years old, and Curtis has trained her personally. This
is how she can run invisibly through poorly lit areas, and can
run at incredible speeds.
Ayame Blackburn is one half of another light-and-dark
juxtaposition. Remember that Curtis Blackburn also taught Dan
everything that he knew. Presumably, given Curtis' unique
skills, he also taught Dan how to perform the Collateral Shot.
Ayame Blackburn's strength is found by entering into darkness;
Dan's strength is found by emitting light. I suspect that they
are two halves of Curtis Blackburn's total knowledge.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Z--[Q]: Where was Kevin during the flashback sequences? [#VZ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: This is the most frequently asked question that I receive
via eMail, so I'll include it here: Kevin was the bellhop.
Yes, that's right. The bellhop.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AA--[Q]: I didn't understand what was going on in the KAKU
building. Who were those four guys playing Mah-jong?
Why were they talking about dogs and monkeys? [#VAA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: According to the translation of Capcom-Japan's Killer7 web
site provided for me by Yoshiko Ohier, the men in the KAKU
building playing Mah-jong were named Dudley, Jeffers, Ohta,
and Kuramato. Dudley and Jeffers were American diplomats, and
they were the ones referred to as "Dogs." Ohta and Kuramato
were Japanese diplomats with the Liberal Party, and they were
the ones referred to as "Monkeys."
I think that these nicknames correspond with the archetypal
dogs and monkeys of the Shinto zodiac. In the Shinto zodiac,
monkeys are erratic geniuses, clever and skillful when working
on large operations, innovative, and original. These
characteristics would seem to describe the Japanese politicians
in Killer7: all of them innovatively find ways to undermine their
opponents, and they pursue these plans in large-scale ways. Yet,
describing the Japanese as "monkeys" is ironic, given the
ambiguous success that the Japanese seem to have in these
endeavors. Dogs, in the Shinto zodiac, are imbued with strong
senses of duty and honor. They are extremely honest, and try
to maintain good relationships with others. They inspire
confidence and can easily persuade others to keep secrets.
This sort of blunt, emotional personality is an appropriate
description of the American politicians in Killer7; certainly,
the American military officers seen in the opening cutscenes
of SUNSET showed sincere concern for the lives of the Japanese,
who (to those officers) were known national allies. However,
describing the Americans as "dogs" is also ironic, given
the fact that the Americans would have betrayed Japan's
friendship were it not for Matsuken's intervention on behalf
of the U. N. Party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AB--[Q]: Who was Kenjiro Matsuoka? And why was he called
Matsuken? [#VAB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: Yoshiko Ohier explained to me that "Matsuken" is a nickname
for Kenjiro Matsuoka. In Japanese language, family names are
written before personal names, opposite how they are written
in most Western languages. Matsuoka's name would be written
"Matsuoka Kenjiro." The nickname is simply a combination of the
two names: "Matsu(oka) Ken(jiro)."
Matsuken was a lower, younger member of the U. N. Party, until
he became frustrated with the seeming ineptitude of his party
elders. He shot them--Akiba and Kurahashi--and prepared to shoot
himself. However, Kun Lan touched him and "adopted" him with
the "Hand of God."
Matsuken represents the violent anger in Japanese culture
toward America, due in large part to the destruction of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki with the atomic bombs. Yoshiko has explained that
the Capcom-Japan Killer7 website that Matsuken was born in
Hiroshima, and is 30 years old at the time of the story. He was
born in Hiroshima. Further discussion of the significance of his
age and birthplace can be found in the section of this document
titled "MESSIAHS."
After becomig "adopted" by Kun Lan, Matsuken takes the reins
of the U. N. Party. He is responsible for the murder of Hiro
Kasai, the Japanese man who informed Garcian of the talks being
held in the KAKU building at the opening of SUNSET PART TWO.
Hiro Kasai was a member of Japan's Liberal Party--the domestic
opposition to Matsuken's U. N. Party.
Some players believe that the man who Matsuken kills is Iwazaru.
I do not think this is correct. First, we are given no indicators
that suggest that the scene on top of the roof in Washington,
D.C., is a flashback. It occurs within the narrative linearity
of the game's events. At the time of the murder atop the D.C.
building, Iwazaru was already a remnant psyche. As well, whether
or not a reader accepts my interpretation of Iwazaru as a remnant
psyche of Kun Lan (Emir's father), it cannot be argued that
Matsuken had a known motive for killing whomever Iwazaru was in
life. On the other hand, Matsuken has the knowledge that would
lead him to kill Hiro Kasai (since Harman Smith is now alive as
a Persona), and he has the motivation to kill Hiro Kasai, since
Kasai is a leading figure in the Liberal Party working against
the U. N. Party.
At the end of the game, if the player allows Matsuken to live,
we see him standing with a stern facial expression as Japanese
military technology hurtles toward America. Given his "divine
ordination" and the Japanese political party that is most closely
aligned with conservative Japanese political ideals, I think
that Matsuken represents the reinstatement of Japanese
emperorship and the destruction of democratic freedom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AC--[Q]: Who is the person who leaves messages for Garcian on
the answering machine? What's that message about?[#VAC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: The person who leaves messages for Garcian on the answering
machine is Christopher Mills, the contact agent between the
U. S. Government and the Killer7. The message is a code, so
Mills can let Garcian know that there is work to do.
The message is: "Hello, Mr. Smith. The election is drawing near.
Have you decided on your vote? If you haven't, please let the
Republic party make the most of your precious vote. Thank you,
and have a nice day."
The meaning of Mills' contact message is subtle. We should look
at his use of the terms "election," "vote," and "Republic party."
"The election is drawing near," Mills says. "Election" carries
weight as a political word in both democratic and dictatorial
contexts. When we speak of "an election," in American democratic
politics, we refer to a specific instance when citizens who are
registered to vote cast ballots for candidates; the winner "wins
the election." In a dictatorship, "an election" is the assignment
(often the self-assignment) of a political figure to a given role.
One may be elected to a position of power by popular consent, as
in an ideal democracy, or one may be elected to a position by
hubris, power, or divinity. Often, the phrase "divine election"
is used with respect to a person or group of people who are chosen
to carry a significant burden for the sake of others.
Matsuken was "elected" to the position of the U. N. Party's leader
by Kun Lan's intervention, much as Emir Parkreiner was "elected"
to the role of the killer (and consumer) of the Killer7, including
Harman Smith. These elections occured in the past; they were
epiphanies wherein indecision had reached its climax and a single
path was chosen.
The irony of Mills' use of the word "election" involves Emir's fate,
and the host of the Killer7. When Garcian (as a "game player"
controlling the Killer7) chooses between the Personae, he is casting
a "vote" for each of those Personae. A person is elected to carry
out a designated task; likewise, Garcian elects certain Personae for
certain tasks. MASK is chosen for the removal of specific obstacles;
Coyote is chosen to move around difficult terrain; and Garcian himself
is chosen for the recovery of the dead.
Regardless of the Persona "elected" to a given task, Emir Parkreiner--
as the base personality on whom the Personae and Harman Smith are piled--
votes for all Personae except his own true identity. One "election" that
draws nearer with each mission is the final encounter at the Union Hotel,
wherein Emir effectively eliminates all of the possible candidates for
his identity, leaving only himself.
Once the internal "election" is resolved, Emir may turn his vote--his
power to decide--toward the outside world. At the end of the LION
chapter, the player is given the option to either kill Matsuken or
let him live. This is a moment of election, wherein Emir is no longer
elected by anyone--neither Kun Lan nor H. H.--and takes the power that
they once possessed as his own. He "votes" for either Japan or America.
The use of the phrase "Republic Party" struck me as awkward, when I
reflected upon it. A casual listening might lead a player to conclude
that Mills has disguised himself as a campaigner for the REPUBLICAN Party.
In American political culture, the Republican Party is currently the more
ideologically conservative political force; prior to the election of
John F. Kennedy, however, the Democratic Party had been the more
ideologically conservative party. (The Democrats' election of Kennedy--
a Catholic--into public office aroused the prejudice against Catholic
Christianity in the politically conservative South, starting a regional
migration of political allegiance toward the Republican Party.
Prior to this shift, the Democrats had been ideologically conservative.)
The history of the Republican Party is important, here, because it
reveals that the ideological identity of a given political party is
not static. Ideas change, and so do political parties' identities.
So, if Mills had meant "Republican" party, we would be led to believe
that he was posing as a conservative ideologue; however, in the projected
political future, even this identity would be hard to determine, since
"Republican" has meant both ideological liberalism and conservatism.
I think that this suggests that we should pay attention to the specific
word he chooses: "Republic Party."
Any reference to the American government's structure as "a democracy"
equivocates America's real political operation. Certain, America is
"democratic"; however, it is not a democracy. A true democracy entails
the literal voting participation of every single member of a nation.
On a small scale, true democracy is more probable to succeed, since the
number of votes are maintained more easily than with a large population.
On a large scale--such as the United States' current size--such a method
of governmental operation is impossible to execute efficiently. Instead
of a true democracy, the United States of America's government is a
"democratic republic." Note that "democratic" is the subordinate word,
and that "republic" is the dominant word.
When Mills describes himself as "from the Republic party," he confesses
that he sides with the United States of America's historical identity.
Mills believes that the United States' political structure allows power
to politicians because of the population's conscientious approval. In
the world of Killer7, he could not be more wrong.
Linda Vermillion calls Mills a slave because "the government's interest
was his interest." She asks the rhetorical question, "Is making a move
for the interest of the country an assassin's job?" She then introduces
herself as "a protector of the country." While her references to "the
government" and "the country" seem equivocal, the distinction implied
in her speech is important. Mills believed in the government, as he
learned of its structure; Christopher Mills was a patriot who served
his country through the underground societies within its bounds.
Regardless of the culture of deception and intrigue that he surrounded
himself with, he never doubted that the authority of the government of
the United States of America--a democratic republic--trumped all of the
subversive crowds within its borders. When he began acting in the
interest of the nation he believed in, the shadow government (whose
disguise was a democratic republic) murdered him.
Linda Vermillion contrasts herself with Mills, when she describes herself
as "a protector of the country." She protects the shadow government
whose activities Mills threatened, by acting on his belief in the power
of a democratic republic.
Mills' use of the phrase "Republic party" implies that he and the Killer7
believe that they work for America's historically recognized identity as
a democratic republic. At the end of the game, Emir Parkreiner--a mass
murderer who may still be noble, as a political character--must use his
power to decide whether he will defend the Republic or not.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AD--[Q]: Why does Garcian find all of the personae's weapons in
his attache case? [#VAD]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: My and other's initial reaction to Garcian's discovery of
the other personae's weapons in the attache case was to conclude
that Garcian, himself, was all of the Killer7. However, I do not
think that is the correct conclusion.
The six members of the Killer7 who the player can choose among,
while in the field of action, are considered separate from Garcian
Smith. However, since Garcian seems to be either a stable physical
entity (as Garcian Smith) or a fluctuating physical entity (as the
other personae), it makes sense that he would carry all of the
other killers' weapons with him. They come in and out of
existence, using his body, and he must carry their guns with him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AE--[Q]: Why doesn't Garcian remember having killed Harman Smith
and the other assassins? [#VAE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: "Garcian Smith" did not exist until Emir Parkreiner had killed
Harman Smith and the other assassins, and then had gained the psychical
powers of Harman Smith.
Think of "Garcian" as the identity created within Emir, when he
became the master of the psychical universe that the Killer7 inhabit.
When Emir Parkreiner's memory was recovered, "Garcian" died. Emir
remembered killing Harman and the assassins; Garcian could not,
because his identity and memory began immediately after Emir took on
Harman Smith's powers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AF--[Q]: Why does Emir still carry the attache case in the LION
chapter, if he no longer has the third eye? [#VAF]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A}: The most immediate answer that I would give to this question
is that the developers didn't have the time or interest to create
a whole new character model for Garcian, just for the LION chapter.
Even if it is laziness, though, the evidence is in the game that
Emir continued to carry the weapons of the Smiths after he became
"freed" of their existence as personae. It is possible that the
end of SMILE only dramatized the end of H. H.'s existence within
Emir Parkreiner. Garcian died, because "Garcian" only existed as
a "servant" of H. H., who communicated with Garcian through the
form of Master Harman.
The condition of Kun Lan's binding, though, has also been removed.
H. H. is no longer within Emir's psyche to keep Kun Lan chained,
and the power of resurrection that Emir gained from killing and
"consuming" Harman Smith were originally gifts from Kun Lan. So,
it seems likely that Emir retained his power to shape-shift and
resurrect the dead; he simply lost the guidance and control that
H. H. had had over him, when he was Garcian Smith.
Also, note that when Matsuken addresses Emir, he says: "You boys
are almost done. You don't need to go around killing everybody
anymore." Matsuken seems to know that Emir represents a group
of psyches, since he refers to Emir as "you boys." Surely, Matsuken
has spent quite a bit of time around Emir, since his later words
imply an extended professional relationship: "I wonder. What'll
become of you guys if terrorism is the law of nature? You know,
you should kill me now, because you don't want us hanging around."
I think that all of this means that Emir retains the power to
change forms. Consequently, I think that he carries around the
attache case with the others' weapons, so that he can do his work
as a professional assassin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AG--[Q]: What's up with Samantha and the lights? [#VAG]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that this has to do with the white/black, light/dark
distinction between H. H. and Kun Lan. Kun Lan is associated with
white; H. H. is associated with black. Darkness is H. H.'s true
environment. Presumably, since the chain of inheritance of Kun
Lan's power (from Harman Smith to Emir Parkreiner) still has the
power of Kun Lan--white--at its root, it would make sense that
Master Harman would only be able to communicate with Garcian in
the light--through the power of Kun Lan that has been manipulated
to serve H. H.'s ends.
When Master Harman asks Samantha to turn on the lights, he is
returning to darkness--returning to his natural element within
Emir's psyche--and giving the "light" of Kun Lan's powers back to
Garcian, so that he can use it in the field of action.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AH--[Q]: Why are KAEDE's and MASK's names capitalized? [#VAH]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: This question has a simple answer. They are capitalized because
they are the only first names out of all of the Smiths' that were
originally written in Japanese characters, in the Japanese release.
The other Smiths' names were written in English characters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AI--[Q]: What are the circumstances surrounding Yoon-Hyun's
"untimely death"? Did Emir kill him at the same time as he
killed the other members of the Harman Assassins? [#VAI]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Emir did not kill Yoon-Hyun at the same time that he killed
the other members of the Killer7 group. Yoon-Hyun was crucial to
the effort to silence all media attention to the murders of the
Harman Assassins. He would not have been able to do so, had he
been killed.
The specific circumstances surrounding Yoon-Hyun's death are
unknown. It seems likely that he would have been killed because
of his knowledge of the murders of the Harman Assassins; having
the knowledge that he had, when involved in government intrigue,
makes for a shortened life span.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AJ--[Q]: What's the deal with the whole Russian Roulette scene?
[#VAJ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Benjamin Keane's a little crazy. He says so himself, in fact,
when he says, to Garcian, "We're sick people, you know that? We
only feel alive when our lives are on the line."
Benjamin Keane started the Russian Roulette game for the thrill,
and, also, to create an impromptu "contract" with Garcian Smith.
He seems likely to have known who Garcian was; he wanted Garcian
to kill the President, so that he (Keane) could become President.
Keane also just assisted in the murder of Greg Nightmare. The
man had more than enough reasons to play a suicidal game.
Thematically, the game also touches one of the themes in the
game's narrative: voting. What determines whether or not the
bullet will be in the chamber, when a player of Russian Roulette
pulls the trigger? Arbitrary chance. What are the consequences
of that arbitrary chance? Life or death.
Think about the choice at the end of the game. Emir must choose
whether or not to kill Matsuken. This, in itself, is like Russian
Roulette. If Matsuken dies, Emir lives; if Matsuken lives, Emir
dies. Likewise, if Keane dies, Garcian lives; if Keane had lived,
Garcian would have died.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AK--[Q]: Why are Emir's eyes green in LION? [#VAK]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: SUDA 51 has answered this question in an interview,
explaining that the eyes are green to indicate that Emir has
awoken fully to his bloodthirsty nature.
The green eyes indicate that he is fully under the power
of Kun Lan, his true father, who also has green eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AL--[Q]: Why do the remnant psyches sound like they are talking
through a garden hose? [#VAL]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: There are two answers to this. First, when the game was
made originally in Japanese, the characters' lines were spoken
in clear English. However, the language was closer to Engrish:
English made slightly incomprehensible through Japanese trans-
lation. Knowing that native English speakers would be disturbed
by the poor grammar and syntax, the developers decided to present
the voices garbled and accompanied with grammatically correct
subtitles.
The second answer is that the voices help convey their other-
worldly nature. When we, as players, can only understand the
content of their speech by reading the subtitles, we are given
more strongly the impression that Emir has a complex, intimate
relationship with the shades. When we talk to the remnant
psyches, we are encountering them through Emir's perspective;
he possesses the power to converse with them, and we can only
take meaning from the subtitled text, his mental "interpretation"
of the remnant psyches' speech.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AM--[Q]: Why is Travis in a tuxedo? [#VAM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Straight up, the man's got class. He's not all wife-beaters
and jeans, you know.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AN--[Q]: Was Master Harman really at the table with
Toru Fukushima? [#VAN]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think so, yes.
Fukushima sits at the table, and so does Master Harman. No other
chair has been presented to Master Harman, implying that he has
his own chair. Second, after Kisugi has shot Fukushima, Master
Harman escapes Kisugi's gunshots by pressing on the table and
rolling backward. This choreography would not be possible, if
the person was sitting in anything other than a wheelchair.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AO--[Q]: Are the three Harmans separate identities, or are they
all the same person? [#VAO]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that the entity collectively known as "Harman" is
expressed differently, in each of his three parts.
Think of the concept of the Christian tripartite God, who is
divided into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The
Father is the transcendant, holy absolute; the Holy Spirit is
the will of God working in the world; and the Son is the human
incarnation of the Father's love for the world.
In Harman, then, we see an analogous division: H. H. is the Father,
since his will is the absolute moral authority; Harman Smith is
the Holy Spirit, since he is the "active" will of Harman in the
world; and Master Harman is the Son, since he is the human incar-
nation of Harman.
Harman's biggest problem is Harman Smith. Imagine if the tri-
partite God had sent His Holy Spirit to the world--and the Holy
Spirit was able to decide and act against the Father's desires.
This is something like what happened to Harman. When his Holy
Will--Harman Smith--entered the world of men and politics, he
became corrupted toward Harman's nemesis: Kun Lan. (This cor-
ruption is how Harman Smith gained the powers of resurrection.)
By sending Emir Parkreiner to kill and "consume" Harman Smith,
then, H. H. was able to bring his delinquent part under control.
Without this, the total identity of Harman would be always off-
balance.
In a real sense, Harman is at war with himself.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AP--[Q]: How did Garcian gain the power to resurrect the dead?
[#VAP]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Originally, Harman Smith had the power to resurrect the
dead. However, when Emir Parkreiner killed Harman Smith, he took
Harman Smith's Vision Ring. With the Vision Ring and the awaken-
ing of Emir Parkreiner's "third eye," he was able to consume
the souls of those who he had killed along with their powers.
So, for instance, when Emir consumed Dan Smith, he was able to
use Dan's persona along with the Colatteral Shot. Likewise,
when he consumed KAEDE Smith, he was able to use KAEDE's persona
along with her Blood Shower abilities.
His slaying and consumption of Harman Smith, then, allowed him
the ultimate power of all: the power to resurrect from the dead.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AQ--[Q]: Are Susie and Ayame Blackburn the same person? [#VAQ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: No, they are not. Ayame Blackburn is alive and VERY well
during the game--specifically, during the boss fight of the
first half of ENCOUNTER. Susie Sumner has been dead for quite
a while, by this point.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AR--[Q]: Who was Hulbert? What was his purpose? [#VAR]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Hulbert was an FBI agent, who was murdered on a mission to
investigate Coburn Elementary School to determine the political
integrity of the United States' voting system.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AS--[Q]: Dan Smith beat Emir to the draw in the Union Hotel
flashback, but he didn't shoot. Why not? [#VAS]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: In my layout and timeline of the events of the Union Hotel
murders, Dan Smith the last of the Smiths killed before Emir took
on Harman Smith. Also according to my timeline and interpretation,
Dan Smith had been resurrected from the dead at least once before
his murder at the Union Hotel.
He knew that his boss could resurrect him from the dead; he knew
his boss was a total badass assassin. And his boss was on the
floor immediately above him. He may have waited to shoot because
he was pretty sure he wouldn't be permanently killed by the shot.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AT--[Q]: MASK De Smith seems out of place among the Killer7. He
isn't bloodthirsty, and he's a hero to children. What's with
that? [#VAT]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: I think that this is intended to call our attention to the
nature of heroes. A quotation from the Konami game "Metal Gear
Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" reads: "There's not much of a difference
between heroes and madmen."
In the way that comic book characters often are heroes, MASK De
Smith is a hero. He has a secret identity; he undergoes multiple
transformations, each time revealing a deeper super identity; and
he is portrayed as a defender of the weak. When he speaks his
classic line to Jean DePaul, he implies the purity of his own
strength: "Children are pure. They know who is the strongest."
When MASK De Smith kills, it is for the sake of justice. When
Dan Smith kills, it's because he's crazy and he simply loves
killing. Both are the same, in their actions. We judge them
differently based on their motivations toward identical actions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AU--[Q]: Why couldn't Garcian revive the Personae after they were
killed by the Black Smiles in the Coburn Elementary Gymnasium?
[#VAU]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: A couple of reasons suggest themselves.
First, Garcian no longer possessed the Vision Ring. His powers
of clairvoyance and resurrection seem to have been contingent upon
both his "third eye" and his possession of the Vision Ring. The
"third eye" allowed him to perceive supernatural activity; the
Vision Ring allowed him to act within the supernatural realm.
Once he lost the Vision Ring, he lost the ability to act within
the supernatural realm. However, until he climbed to the roof of
the Union Hotel, he could still perceive the supernatural realm.
Second, even granting Garcian the power to resurrect the dead after
giving up the Vision Ring, he had none of their remains. It is
important that after every death of a Persona, in the game, Garcian
can retrieve some parts of their body in a brown paper bag. He
doesn't have any of this, after they are killed by the Black
Smiles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AV--[Q]: Is there any significance to the way that the Personae's
powers work? [#VAV]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Yes, I think so.
All of the Personae's powers suggest elements of their deaths, in
the Union Hotel. All of the powers are inversions of the elements
of their deaths.
Kevin Smith was in disguise, but his disguise failed. In the
Killer7, Kevin Smith's disguise is perfect: he turns invisible.
Con Smith did not hear Emir enter his room, and he did not run
away. In the Killer7, he has perfect hearing and he can run at
impossible speeds.
MASK De Smith was completely nude, exposed, and he died without
putting up a fight. In the Killer7, he is disguised entirely, and
he is the superhero-in-residence.
KAEDE Smith was a coward; she ran away when she had the chance to
warn the remainder of her comrades, and she hid in a closet. In
the Killer7, she instead slits her wrist and showers forth blood--
an action reminiscent of self-sacrifice, the opposite of her be-
havior in the Union Hotel. As well, instead of placing a barrier
between herself and a threat--as she did when she hid from Emir in
the closet--she removes barriers.
Coyote Smith hid unimaginatively from Emir. In the Union Hotel,
Coyote had the option of climbing onto the fire escape to flee.
Lacking the imagination to do so, however, he was killed when Emir
instead used the fire escape to catch Coyote off guard. In the
Killer7, then, Coyote possesses the ingenuity and cleverness that
he failed to display at the Union Hotel.
Dan Smith talked a lot of trash, bragged to Emir's face, and even
beat Emir to the draw. In the end, though, he was unable to cash
the check his mouth had written. In the Killer7, then, he is
still a braggart, but he is able to follow through with the claims
made in his speech. He is even able to fire the devastating
Colatteral Shot--a supernatural version of the gunshot that could
have saved his life from Emir Parkreiner, in the Union Hotel.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AW--[Q]: Why does MASK De Smith get so many powerups, when the
other members of the Killer7 do not? [#VAW]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Again, I think that MASK De Smith's powerups are intended to
reflect his quality as a superhero. Every superhero transforms
from his or her "secret identity" into a super identity. MASK
De Smith is such a superhero, he transforms from super identity
into super identity into super identity.
He rocks the proverbial party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AX--[Q]: Does the singer with the guitar at the beginning of
ALTER EGO have any significance? [#VAX]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: Mostly, I think he is present for flavor. However, he also
serves as a guide, much as do the twin boys in the cathedral.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AY--[Q]: What do the Odd Engravings mean? [#VAY]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[A]: At this point, I do not have any insight into specific meaning
created by the design of the Odd Engravings. In general, though,
I would observe that the precise detail given in the Odd Engravings
contrasts the abstract geometry of the rest of the game's visual
atmosphere well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AZ--[Q]: What's the deal with Susie? What's her story? [#VAZ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Susie is a Remnant Psyche, of the Killer7.
She has a troubled and stressful past. At one point, her mother
committed suicide--and took Susie with her. Susie's mother died,
but Susie survived. Susie got in trouble quite a bit--she had
typical American teenager angst--and she seems to have had a hair
trigger temper. Once, a young man came to take her out on a date
in secret; he threw some rocks at her window, and accidentally
hit her in the face. This tripped her wire: she got her father's
gun and shot the erstwhile beau to death.
Susie was later confined to a mental institution. She killed a
few of her nurses, and then escaped. According to Johnny Gagnon's
letters, she requested work from the Killer7--though, it is un-
clear whether this means that she had requested to work FOR the
Killer7, or that she had requested that the Killer7 do a job for
her.
Either way, she was killed, and the exact details of her death are
unknown. However, she appears to the Killer7 as a severed head,
and is part of the psychic phenomena that surround them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BA--[Q]: Why does Mills have the car that Clemence drove at
the end of Cloudman? [#VBA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUDA 51 has been interviewed on this issue, and he is quoted as
having said that in the interim between Cloudman and Smile, Mills
bought the car off of Clemence, who felt uncomfortable owning the
vehicle that was dyed red from his former master's blood.
After Mills is assassinated, Garcian/Emir buys the car, which is
what he drives across the intercontinental interstate to get to
Battleship Island.
Interestingly, when Garcian and Mills converse in the car that
Mills bought from Clemence, Garcian sits on the right side, as
the passenger. In the car that Mills owned BEFORE he bought the
car from Clemence, Garcian is seen riding on the LEFT SIDE, as
the passenger. (You can see Garcian riding on the left side in
the anime-style cutscene introducing the ALTER EGO chapter.) This
implies that Mills' first car was not a vehicle manufactured for
use in the United States; European roads require that the driver
side be located on the right of the car, since European driving
laws require drivers to stay on the left side of the road.
This is a nice detail, because it further evinces Japan's
impotence: since Japan is no longer manufacturing cars for global
purchase, Europe has picked up the slack and manufactures cars
that are exclusively designed for European use.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BB--[Q]: What happened to Japan, at the end of SUNSET? [#VBB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The game does not make the fate of Japan very clear. The most
confusing scene plays at the end of SUNSET, when missiles fly
over Mills and Garcian standing on the highway overpass.
According to the game, the only person capable of convincing the
U. S. Government to intervene and intercept the missiles is Toru
Fukushima, since he is the head of the U. N. Party--the strongest
political party in Japan. However, the Liberal Party sends Julia
Kisugi to kill Fukushima, to retrieve the Yakumo. (The Liberal
Party could not have chosen a worse time to do so.)
During the cutscene that opens the second part of SUNSET, we see
Matsuoka become the new leader of the U. N. Party, since Fuku-
shima is now dead. Matsuken leaves, after having been touched by
Kun Lan's "God Hand," and attends to matters that are not speci-
fied in the game. Since Fukushima is the only man who could
entice the U. S. Government to intervene because of his position
as the head of the U. N. Party, it is possible that Matsuken left
to encourage the U. S. Government's aid in saving Japan.
The meeting in the KAKU Building, of course, was between members
of Japan's Liberal Party and the U. S. Government. However,
since the Liberal Party held no real influence with the U. S.
Government, it is unlikely that they could have engaged serious
consideration for the U. S. Government's intervention.
As of the end of SUNSET, the situation looks like this, then:
Matsuken is the new head of the U. N. Party and is the only
one who could encourage the U. S. Government to save Japan. The
Japanese Liberal Party is losing the negotiations to save Japan.
Matsuken leaves to attend to unknown business, at the time when
the U. N. Party wants to save Japan. We have circumstances that
allow for both possibilities: Japan could have been saved by
Matsuken's intervention, or Japan could have been destroyed be-
cause of the Liberal Party's ineptness.
This brings us to the scene at the end of SUNSET, when the missiles
fly over Mills and Garcian. The missiles are said to have been
launched from an unknown location in Asia. Mills and Garcian are
standing on a bridge in Seattle, Washington. If someone were to
launch missiles as Japan, from Asia, it is unlikely that the
missiles would need to pass over Seattle, Washington, to arrive
at their destination. Further, if Mills and Garcian are standing
on the bridge, facing west--that is, toward the Pacific Ocean and
Japan--then the missiles that fly over them would have most pro-
bably been launched from WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. This suggests
that the U. S. Government decided to intercept the missiles, by
launching its own missiles to intercept those heading toward
Japan.
The cutscenes and the in-game information is ambiguous, though
the evidence suggests that Japan was most likely saved from total
annihilation by the United States. (After all, Battleship Island
is not far off of Japan's coast, and it certainly would have been
destroyed in a nuclear explosion. Yet, we see that it has
survived.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BC--[Q]: The anime styles used in the CLOUDMAN and ALTER EGO
chapters are different. Why is that? [#VBC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know a whole lot about anime. I will agree, though, that
the styles used in CLOUDMAN and ALTER EGO are different enough
that it jars the audience's expectations. I think that the
importance of the anime cutscenes in ALTER EGO should be addressed
before explaining why they differ from those in CLOUDMAN.
Anime characters and images appear frequently in "Killer7," and
they mostly appear in association with anti-U. S. forces. Think
about the associations between anime influences, and the boss of
ANGEL and Ayame Blackburn in ENCOUNTER. (For a fuller treatment
of the significance of Japanese pop culture in the game, please
read the last section in section VI of this document.)
Importantly, anime is a medium that is a sort of extension of
Japanese comics, much as American animation has become an exten-
sion of American comic books. One presents static pictures that
tell a story, when viewed in a certain sequence, and the other
presents dynamic pictures that tell a story, when viewed in a
certain sequence. Like comic books, most of the popular anime
involves a superhero--think of Japanese manga and anime such as
"Fist of the North Star" and "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure."
When the player encounters Curtis Blackburn's remnant psyche,
Blackburn urges the player not to trust superheroes; he insists
that they are fakes. Curtis's advice is ironic. At first, he
appears to be talking about the Handsome Men; however, he may
also allude to Emir Parkreiner's "awakening" from his possession
by H. H.
The anime cutscenes in ALTER EGO express Emir Parkreiner's gradual
recognition of his pre-Killer7 memory. The members of the Killer7
are all fantastic beings--Johnny Gagnon's letters even describe
Dan Smith's Collateral Shot as a move straight out of an anime
movie. Prior to ALTER EGO, all of the members of Killer7 are per-
ceived as real, flesh-and-blood figures. During ALTER EGO, they
are perceived as cartoon characters: larger than life mirages.
During SMILE, they are perceived as ghosts and dismissed. The
chronological order of the chapters reflects the movement of Emir's
mind toward recognition of his identity; the anime cutscenes of
ALTER EGO suggest that Emir is recognizing (on some primordial
level) that the Killer7 Personae are not the real, flesh-and-blood
figures he has believed them to be, until this point.
Since Emir's awakening is central to the plot of "Killer7," I
think that the significant anime cutscenes of ALTER EGO are more
important than those of CLOUDMAN. Consequently, I think that the
anime style in CLOUDMAN is used precisely because it is so diff-
erent from that used in ALTER EGO. The difference calls the
audience's attention to the anime cutscenes of ALTER EGO, to
make the audience question the meaning behind them more explicitly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BD--[Q]: How does Garcian resurrect the dead Personae? [#VBD]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Following this document's interpretation that Garcian controls
the Killer7's Personae from within Harman's Room--thereby explain-
ing why he does not exist in the field, when any of the other
Personae are out there--I think that the player's actions when
accessing the television screen in Harman's Room are reflections
of Garcian's own actions. In other words, Garcian controls the
Killer7 in ways similar to the way that we control them--through
a video game.
Yet, when we access the television screen, Garcian Smith appears
as an option, and he addresses the audience to indicate that he
is inside the television--not accessing it.
All of the Killer7 and the phenomenae of H. H. and Kun Lan's game
requires Emir Parkreiner's identity as a resource to use. Emir's
body can shapeshift and assume the appearance of the various
Personae; the material of his psyche is needed to create the
personalities for each of the Personae, much like a yard of cloth
can be used to make a shirt, a dress, or any number of garments.
When we resurrect a fallen Persona, we are required to "infuse it
with life." The energy that brings the Persona back to life must
exist in some other form, before it is transmitted into the dead
Persona. In the relationship between the player and the game,
the player's own physical energy is used to resurrect the Persona,
since the player must press the A button rapidly in order to bring
the Persona back to life. Likewise, in the game, it seems that
the resurrection process involves "reinflating" the dead Persona
with energy from Emir Parkreiner's psyche/soul.
Since Garcian is the only member of the Killer7 who bears any
relationship to the previous identity of Emir Parkreiner, it is
natural that he would be the only one who can bring the Personae
back to life. In a sense, he is a ward over Emir Parkreiner's
soul, and he is responsible for infusing the dead Personae with
Emir's spiritual material.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BE--[Q]: What's the deal with the epilogue sequence that takes
place 100 years later? Why is it in Shanghai? [#VBE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The "100 Years Later" epilogue conveys that the battle between
Harman and Kun Lan is never-ending. SUDA 51 has commented that
it represents the endless cycle of war. I would also add that it
represents the INEVITABILITY of war, as long as extremist cultural
factions within the Occident and the Orient fight each other.
The setting of the conflict, 100 years later, leads me to think
so. Again, I interpret the significance of the setting in terms
of allusiveness to the Second World War.
Prior to Japan's fated participation in the Second World War,
Japan had staged several ethnocentric and imperialistic conquests
into China. Japan saw itself as the purifier of the Asian nations,
and it sought to conquer the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean pop-
ulations in order to subjugate them under their proper ruler--
the Japanese Emperor. While Western political powers were aware
of Japan's military advances into China, they disapproved of the
aggression without seriously challenging Japan. One of the moments
that brought the West's attention to Japanese continental expan-
sion was the Shanghai Incident.
Japan's war against the Chinese spread to Shanghai in February
1932. Until that point, the United States government held a re-
action called "the nonrecognition principle" to Japan's territorial
conquests within China. The "nonrecognition principle" was a
diplomatic trick that allowed the United States to refuse to re-
cognize Japanese possession of conquered Chinese terrority (which
protected them from appearing to support the Japanese expansion
to the Chinese). Until the Shanghai Incident, the Japanese
expansion had occurred mostly in the north and east of China;
however, the United States and Britain had significant commercial
interests in Shanghai.
With the attack upon Shanghai, Japan began to irritate Western
powers more directly with its imperialistic activity. Neither
the United States nor Britain could retaliate, due to the trouble
caused by the Great Depression; however, the Shanghai Incident
marked the beginning of the West's wariness of Japan.
During the "100 Years Later" epilogue, Harman fights Kun Lan in
Shanghai. The location in Shanghai, I think, suggests another
policital circumstance, in the future, which will result in another
struggle between Harman (the West) and Kun Lan (the East).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BF--[Q]: At the end of ANGEL, the boss says that four of their
children did not die in vain, but that the Killer7
killed the other nine children needlessly. Who were
those children? What did she mean by 'not dying in
vain?' Who were the other nine? [#VBF]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At the beginning of ANGEL, Mills tells Garican that there are
fourteen Heaven Smiles inside, including the leader. Add four
to nine, and you have thirteen Heaven Smiles referred to by the
ANGEL boss. Include the angel just beyond the boss fight room--
the one that Kun Lan hides behind--and you have fourteen.
As suggested earlier in this guide, three ways appear to exist
for making Heaven Smiles: conversion (like in the intro to ANGEL),
Frankenstein-monster creation (using the organs harvested by Pedro
and Blackburn), and viral infection (as seen at the end of CLOUD-
MAN). However, the egg-laying Duplicator Smiles seem to create
weaker, less substantial Heaven Smiles.
The existence of the Duplicator Smiles seems to have been a sur-
prise to everyone involved; even the Killer7's pre-operation
intelligence lacked mention of them. (Remember Dan's comment:
"The bastards are breeding!") The ANGEL boss doesn't appear to
recognize the Heaven Smiles created by the Duplicator Smiles,
when she mentions thirteen of her "children."
Importantly, three humans die in the course of ANGEL. (I do not
include the person in the foyer, since he became a Heaven Smile
and died in that condition.) These, I think, comprise the "four
children" referred to in the ANGEL boss's speech. However, the
ANGEL boss herself is an extra presence in the building. With
her present, the total number of Heaven Smiles reaches fifteen.
On her back, four faces that look like Kun Lan represent her weak
spots, during the boss fight.
I think that her statement that "four children" did not die in
vain alludes to her own creation, as a Heaven Smile entity. The
four faces are representations of each of the people in the
building who died in the building. The man who turns into a
Heaven Smile in the building's foyer explains that people inside
have already died; likely, he alludes to the certain death of
the other three people, in addition to another person who died
before his encounter with the Killer7 in the foyer. Owing to
whatever engineering process the Heaven Smiles use to create new
beings, the three witnessed deaths and the fourth unwitnessed
death contributed to the creation of the ANGEL boss.
The "other nine children" referred to in the ANGEL boss's speech
are the Heaven Smiles in the building who were converted, rather
than generated by the Duplicator Smiles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BG--[Q]: Which Harman is lying on the floor, at the end of LION,
and why is he wearing all white? [#VBG]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Harman lying on the floor at the end of LION is the whole
Harman--all three of the earlier divisions again unified into
one entity. Master Harman no longer exists as a mediating figure
between Harman Smith and H. H.--H. H. no longer has to deal with
controlling a delinquent Harman Smith--and Harman Smith no longer
has to deal with a dominating H. H. They are unified, and they
are at rest.
The white suit that he wears is related to the black suit that
Emir Parkreiner wears, in the LION mission. Master Harman's and
H. H.'s white-in-black appearance signified a relationship to
Garcian Smith, whose appearance is black-in-white. Now that
Harman and Emir are separated, the parts of each other that they
possessed are returned to the original entity. Harman is no
longer fractured by his possession of Emir Parkreiner, and Emir
Parkreiner is no longer fractured by his possession by Harman.
Consequently, each character appears as a solid color, rather
than as contrasting colors.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
VI: THINGS THAT DON'T BELONG ANYWHERE ELSE [#VI2]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Think of this as a junk drawer for observations on the formal
and plot elements of the game that don't belong, really, to
any of the other areas.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A--SMILE STATIC [#VIA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While playing through SMILE-PART 2, I noticed that the sound
of television static vaguely resounded, in the background of
most of the music and sound effects. At first, I thought that
my television was acting up. I recorded some of the audio from
the game onto an outside MP3 recording device--and, still, the
static showed up. I even switched televisions and cables--and,
still, the static showed up.
The conclusion that I draw from this is that the static is not
a technical malfunction on behalf of my PS2, television, or
A/V cables--but, rather, that the static is an intentional,
formal element of the game.
Two things combine, in SMILE-PART 2, that suggest an
explanation for the static. First, recall that television is
the medium for Garcian's communications with the personas.
Second, recall that SMILE-PART 2 is the chapter, in the
narrative, when the patchwork of Remnant Psyches and personas
within and around Emir's soul begin to dissolve.
When changing personas, in Harman's Room, the player hears
static most noticeably while changing channels. Though
television static is avoidable today, mostly owing to cable
and digital transference of image and sound, it is extremely
common on old television sets that use rabbit-ear style
antennae for their reception. The static during SMILE-PART 2
is a formal hint that the once-reliable medium of television
(as a way to manipulate the personas) is dissolving.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
B--TRAITOROUS STAINS (Special recognition goes to Sam Ellis,
who directed my attention to this.) [#VIB]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you used Coyote to unlock the door to Room 406 in ANGEL,
you can talk to Travis as he shuffles a ghostly frying pan
over the eye of the stove. Travis explains that the Camellia
Smiles are stained with blood, because red bloodstains are the
marks of a traitor--and the Camellia Smiles are supposedly
Garcian's contacts within the Heaven Smile.
If we take the definition of red-on-white as a symbol that
recurs in the game, it raises questions about both KAEDE and
Garcian. KAEDE is the only one of the Killer7 to have retained
any scar or mark of her death. If the image of red-on-white
applies to her character, what betrayal did she commit?
KAEDE's act of betrayal may relate to her flashback, as Emir
goes through the Union Hotel killing the Harman Assassins.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that that,
during the flashback sequences, KAEDE had just left Coyote's
room. KAEDE is the only character who seems to have had
knowledge of Emir's killings, before he arrived at her room.
Perhaps her "betrayal" lies in her efforts to save herself, at
the expense of warning her fellow assassins about Emir's
killing spree.
Another possible explanation of KAEDE's betrayal may be her
relationship to the political circumstances in the game, given
her ethnicity. (A Japanese Killer7 guide states that KAEDE is
Japanese American, born around Oregon.) Given the location of
Coburn elementary in Washington State, her ethnicity, and the
region of her childhood, it's possible that KAEDE was trained
as an assassin by the Yakumo. Hence, her inclusion within the
Killer7 group, as a group of assassins who work for the West
(AKA H. H.) makes her a traitor to the values and allegiance
that she was raised under.
Garcian's traitorous action may be similar to the second
possibility ascribed to KAEDE. At the end, once he has seen
thirteen-year-old Emir Parkreiner shoot himself through the
mouth, his white suit is stained red. In terms of being a
traitor, Garcian's all over the place. Born as the son of Kun
Lan, THREE TIMES, and working for H. H.--yet, while working
for H. H., serving the interests of the Japanese contingency
within the shadow-government of American politics--Garcian's
certainly earned that blood.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
C-ISZK [#VIC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The letters "ISZK" appear frequently through the game: from
the television set used to change personas to the name of the
amusement park that Curtis uses as a front for his collection
of orphans. Kess Bloodysunday is the only character who gives
a meaning for "ISZK." He remarks that he can't believe he's
actually in "Ishizaka Land."
I believe that this is a reference to the post World War II
Japanese novelist, Ishizaka Yojiro. I have not read any of
Ishizaka's novels in translation, so my information (at this
point) relies upon critical literary summaries and biographies
that I have located on various digital servers. All sources
describe Ishizaka as a Japanese novelist who helped introduce
the idea of a "New Japan": a post-World War II Japanese
culture that could see a future for itself, beyond the shock
and depression of the horror of the atomic bombs.
In an eMail written to me, Cyril Lener cogently argues that the
use of the initials ISZK may refer to the game's art director,
Akihiko Ishizaka. Lener quotes the Brady Games Guide interview
with SUDA 51, who explained that the Designer considered the
real meaning behind each secnario and tried to represent it
physically." Given the idiosyncratic, personal approach that
Akihiko Ishizaka has taken to depicting the spirit of the world
of Killer7, it is likely that the recurrence of ISZK (as well
as the naming of the television station that Ulmeyda uses to
broadcast his invitation to Garcian, ZAKA) may be Akihiko Ishi-
zaka's artistic signature on the game's visual art.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
D--FALLEN ANGEL [#VID]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After defeating the Ceramic Smile in ENCOUNTER-PART 1, Dan
Smith's Demon Gun is "revived." Dan receives both the Demon
Gun and a Soul Shell from a figure named only "Fallen Angel."
The Fallen Angel is not elaborated upon at any other point in
the game. Within the bounds of the interpretation of Killer7
provided in this plot analysis, I suggest that the Fallen
Angel represents Dan Smith's ascent toward the ultimate power
he can amass, to confront Curtis Blackburn.
Dan Smith was killed by Curtis Blackburn. Some have suggested
that Curtis only wounded Dan severely, and that Harman Smith
came along and bandaged him up afterward. Following this
reasoning, they explain that Dan Smith (in the Union Hotel,
during the flashback of his murder) was bandaged up from his
encounter.
I disagree with the interpretation just described. First,
Travis and Garcian both specifically state that Curtis
Blackburn KILLED Dan Smith. Second, Travis repeats the
question, "Did you recover the body?" to the player, during
ENCOUNTER-PART 1. Travis' use of the word "body" strongly
suggests that Dan Smith, in fact, died.
Within the bounds of the interpretation ascribed to in this
plot analysis, Harman Smith was given the power to resurrect
the dead from Kun Lan. As a strong ally of Kun Lan, Harman
Smith was given a share of Kun Lan's "Hand of God," his
ability to create (or restore) life. Travis seems to suspect
that Harman Smith (before being killed by Emir) came upon
Dan's corpse and restored it to life.
If we go with the idea that (from a certain perspective) Kun
Lan is a Devil-figure, Dan's resurrection is akin to having
made a deal with the Devil. In a sense, Dan Smith has made a
Faustian bargain: he gave Harman Smith his soul, in exchange
for the longevity of existence that would allow him to get
revenge against Curtis Blackburn.
Some argue that Dan's "death" actually occurred while Dan
Smith was under Garcian. That is, they argue that Dan Smith
was used as a persona on one of Garcian's missions, and that
the mission involved the confrontation of Curtis Blackburn.
During that mission, Curtis killed Dan Smith; consequently,
the Dan Smith persona desires revenge.
I disagree with this theory. A few pieces of evidence suggest
that Dan's death at Curtis' hands occurred well before Dan
Smith's incorporation in Garcian's complex life. First, Dan
was killed by Curtis Blackburn, WHILE Dan was still working
with the self-defense department. Since Dan's existence and
appearance can only be maintained by Garcian at the expense of
the appearance of the other personas (as well as Garcian), it
seems unlikely that Garcian would have dedicated enough time
as the Dan Smith persona to have established a career in the
self-defense department. Second, Dan Smith's reaction to
Curtis Blackburn (during the cut-scene before the boss fight
of ENCOUNTER-PART 2) suggests that the last time he and Curtis
met, Curtis was much younger--placing Curtis and Dan's fight
before Emir Parkreiner's raid on the Union Hotel.
Now, let's bring this back to the enigmatic Fallen Angel. Dan
Smith died, and Harman Smith took his soul in exchange for
prolonged life during which Dan might avenge himself. When
confronting Curtis, Dan says, "I went to see the Devil. Now
it's your turn." Within the context of the interpretation
favored in this plot analysis, Dan (in this scene) refers to
his exchange with Harman Smith. The Fallen Angel is a
representation of his decadent decision: it holds both a Soul
Shell--a representation of Dan's soul, when he gave it to
Harman Smith--and Dan's Demon Gun. I deduce from the use of
the term "revive" that Dan once used the Demon Gun, before his
murder. The Fallen Angel is the keeper of Dan Smith's greater
strength, as well as his mortal soul.
Some might ask (reasonably): "If the Soul Shell held by the
Fallen Angel represents Dan Smith's soul, and so does the Soul
Shell in the 6th floor of the Union Hotel, are you saying that
Dan has two souls?" My answer: yes and no. Dan's first soul
was given to Harman Smith--and, when Emir Parkreiner killed
him in the Union Hotel, Dan Smith's "second soul" (the
animating force bestowed upon him by Harman Smith's miniature
Hand of God) was contracted by Emir Parkreiner. In a sense,
Dan Smith and Garcian Smith are incredibly alike: each man is
running off of his third "incarnation" in life, only for
different reasons.
The above interpretation would also explain the game
instruction booklet's claim that Dan would kill Harman at any
time. If Dan sees Harman Smith as his "owner," he would want
naturally to deprive Harman of the authority that a master has
over a slave. Doctor Faustus would have killed Satan,
certainly, if doing so would release him from his unholy pact.
Also, if this is accurate, Dan's relaxed reaction to Emir's
slaughter of his teammates might be more understandable. Dan
had a deal with Harman: he would kill for Harman, and Harman
would keep him alive until Dan got revenge on Curtis. He
likely did not expect Emir to kill Harman--and, instead,
expected Harman to kill Emir and then resurrect Dan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
E--HEAVEN SMILES AS RELATED TO WORLD WAR II JAPANESE AERIAL
TACTICS [#VIE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Heaven Smiles have bombs planted inside them, and these
bombs detonate upon their contact with their target. This
bears a stark similarity to the grim tactics of Japanese World
War II kamikaze pilots.
Further, the Japanese kamikaze fighting tactics came from a
cultural history steeped in Bushido. Historically, "Bushido"
incorporates a highly idealistic philosophy with formal social
customs and martial arts practice. In the event that a person
must choose between honor and death, he must choose death
(according to Bushido ethics). The culmination of such
idealism resulted in kamikaze pilot tactics. The level of
idealism may seen distant (even impossible) to us, but during
World War II volunteers for kamikaze missions flooded and
amassed to three times the number of aircraft available for
such missions.
Another important connection between the Heaven Smiles and the
Second World War's kamikaze fighters lies in the broader appli-
cation of suicide-bombing tactics. While kamikaze tactics were
originally confined to air force pilots--often, young and inex-
perienced pilots who wanted to help the Showa Emperor's war
effort yet who had no combat ability--the suicidal attacks were
refined for implementation in all areas of military force. Kami-
kaze fighting tactics were the core of Japanese specialized mili-
tary force. The following excerpt from Herbert Bix's excellent
biography "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan" indicates
the extent to which Japan applied the suicide-bombing tactics of
kamikaze fighting:
"From April 8, 1945, until its capitulation, the Suzuki
government's chief war policy was "Ketsugo," a further refine-
ment of the "Shoshango" (Victory Number 3) plan for the defense
of the homeland. Its defining characteristic was heavy reli-
ance on suicide tactics, and the manufacture of weapons solely
for the purpose of suicide missions using massive numbers
of kamikaze 'special attack' planes, human torpedoes shot from
submarines, dynamite-filled 'crash boats' powered by truck
engines, human rocket bombs carried by aircraft, and suicide
charges by specially trained ground units." [pg 495]
The fighting tactics and the shocking variety of suicide attacks
reflects the mobilized forces of the Heaven Smiles, in Killer7.
Even the name "Heaven Smiles" bears similarity to the literal
interpretation of the Japanese word kamikaze: "Divine Wind."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
F--ANDREI ULMEYDA: POSSIBLE DESCENDANT OF INTERNMENT
PRISONERS [#VIF]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As a Southerner (with family from Alabama and South Carolina)
who lives in the South, I asked myself, "Who the hell would
have the name 'Andrei Ulmeyda'?" The sounds are uncommon in
the South, to say the least. However, Ulmeyda lives in Texas,
where the cultural history deviates from most of the region
that I recognize as the American South.
I must confess, though, that I have been helped toward the
direction of thought that I will soon describe. Many warm
thanks are due to Pedro Giglio, who offers the following
observation from his home in Rio de Janeiro:
"'Andrei Ulmeyda' sounds like 'Andre Almeida', and
the Brazilian flag on the Ulmeyda Collection logo menu sounds
suspiciouis enough that he isn't from the U.S., but an
immigrant (possibly illegal? who knows, he's just some postal
worker)."
Intrigued by Pedro's suggestion, I researched Texas World War
II history, the possible etymology of Ulmeyda's names, and
derived a possible explanation for Ulmeyda's presence in
Texas. His presence in Texas, of course, relates to the theme
of U. S. World War II politics.
Ulmeyda City (in Killer7) is located in the same general area
as Crystal City, Texas, during World War II. During World War
II, the United States bureau of Alien Enemy Control either
kidnapped German-descended South Americans, or it coerced
South American nations to deport German-descendant citizens to
the United States. During a legal hearing in the 1980's,
Edward J. Ennis (the Director of Alien Enemy Control during
World War II) described a federal program that involved the
kidnapping of "alien enemies from other countries in South
America."
Pedro suggests that "Ulmeyda" is a bastardization of
"Almeida," and he then posits that Ulmeyda may have Brazilian
roots. His suggestion, I think, is apt.
The possible decision to name Andrei Ulmeyda after the
Brazilian surname "Almeida" suggests an interesting
correlation. John Almeida was a 16th century Catholic
missionary, born in London, who traveled to Brazil during his
life of devotion and prayer. His name was originally "Meade,"
but became changed to "Almeida" owing to the Portuguese
surroundings. The connection suggests that "Ulmeyda" was a
deliberate decision to link Andrei with Catholic piety--and
not the easy kind, either. As Ulmeyda infected himself with
various lethal diseases, John Almeida inflicted great pain
upon his body to learn to endure suffering; he wore hair
shirts, iron chains, and even wore metal plates with sharp
points piercing his flesh.
The Ulmeyda-Almeida connection notwithstanding, the surname
certainly suggests that he has Brazilian origins. Why, then,
would he be related to the internment camp at Crystal City?
His first name, Andrei, is a Germanic variation of the name
"Andrew." His family seems to have been of German descent,
living in Brazil, and were deported to the central-south Texas
region during the World War II internment of suspected enemies
of the United States.
Another variation upon Ulmeyda exists, in Catholic history:
Saint Almedha. The biggest difference between Saint Almedha
and Andrei Ulmeyda is gender; however, two notable parallels
exist. First, those homes that refused to offer Saint Almedha
shelter during the time of her persecution (immediately
preceding martyrdom) were beset with disasters that led to
their quick destruction. (This suggests the fate of the
military personnel who suffer under Ulmeyda's rain of blood.)
Second, the legend surrounding her martyrdom holds that a
healing spring appeared at the site of her death. (This
suggests the "healing spring" of blood that appears at the
site of Ulmeyda's death, to which Clarence reacts without
suffering--which, also, is full of antibodies to various
lethal diseases.) Finally, Saint Almedha was beheaded--which
Ulmeyda certainly was.
Another observation is that Ulmeyda figurine number two--the
one in which Ulmeyda wears a karate gi--the left breast of his
uniform has a logo variation of the Brazilian flag.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
G--IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL [#VIG]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Through the course of my research into aspects of Japanese
culture and history that I (previously) knew nothing about, I
have run across paragraphs pertaining to U.S./Japanese
relations since World War II that seem highly relevant to
Killer7. I will quote these excerpts, and follow each
quotation with a comment connecting the excerpt to the game.
EXCERPT: " . . . [The] critic Eto Jin . . . has characterized
the [post-WWII] Occupation as a period during which the
Japanese psyche was recast in an American mold--and with such
success that the Japanese virtually lost the power to think
critically about their national identity. Eto sees the
operations of the Civil Censorship Detachment (CCD) as one of
the Occupation's most powerful tools. With it, he says, the
Occupation was able to cut Japan off from the rest of the
world and to wage, within this 'sealed linguistic space,' an
'invisible war of attrition' against Japanese thought and
culture." (Rubin, Jay. "From Wholesomeness to Decadence: The
Censorship of Literature under the Allied Occupation." Journal
of Japanese Studies. Winter 1985. Pgs 71-103.)
COMMENTARY: Since so much of the historical context of the
political emotion in Killer7 is drawn from post-WWII Japan, it
seems fitting to read a critical assessment of the
U.S./Japanese cultural relationship during those years.
Killer7 effectively reverses the cultural subterfuge that
Japan experienced after World War II--and it combines both
invisible military domination with the cultural infiltration
of pop Japanese cultural symbols, like anime angels,
transforming anime school girls, and Sentai action heroes.
EXCERPT: The excerpt recounts the Japanese writer Sakaguchi
Ango's reaction to the post-WWII disillusionment with warrior
ideals. "Japan lost and Bushido perished, but humanity was
born at last from decadence, the womb of truth. Live! Become
decadent! . . . Human beings have not changed; we have simply
become human again. People become decadent. Heroes and
heroines become decadent. It cannot be prevented, nor can
preventing it save us. People live, and they become decadent.
It is our shortcut to salvation." (Ibid.)
COMMENTARY: The author of the article comments that "Ango
feels a fascination for the transcendent and superhuman, but
he has the sense to step back and say no." One might read some
of this into Harman Smith's slaying of Kun Lan and H. H., at
the end of SMILE. Kun Lan and H. H.--the transcendant and
superhuman embodiments of the cultural values that both vied
for his soul--are rejected violently; Harman Smith wins by
taking the path of human decadence, forsaking his
superhumanity, and becoming only human. Because of this, I
think, his soul is asleep in Harman's Room, at the end of
LION.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
H--FURTHER THOUGHTS ON THE YAKUMO [#VIH]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The rings that the Killer7 receives from Susie during the
game seem to be embodiments of the Yakumo. Once more,
"ya kumo" translates into "eight clouds." Andrei Ulmeyda is
supposed to have gotten the eight part of the Yakumo, and this
is responsible for the success of his business.
When the Killer7 talks to the cult member inside the restaurant,
in CLOUDMAN, the cult member asks if we have seen "that adventure
movie about the ring." He then describes the movie as Ulmeyda's
autobiographical thanksgiving for his success. This suggests that
Ulmeyda received his portion of the Yakumo in the form of a ring,
much as the Killer7 have received their "powers" in the form of
rings.
A final note about the Yakumo: "Yakumo" is the name of a German
digital hardware company that manufactures (among other products)
PDA's. (Special thanks goes to Sam Ellis, who pointed this out
to me.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I--LION FLAG [#VII]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you reload your Save File after completing the sixth chapter,
LION, you'll see the silhouette at the Mission Select screen
filled in, like Kun Lan's in ANGEL and Curtis Blackburn's in
ENCOUNTER. The flag is (presumably) a territorial flag for
Battleship Island.
The flag is the symbol of the aggressive, militaristic U. N.
Party in Japan. Toward the stern of the battleship's silhouette,
we see the rising sun and its rays extending to the flag's
extremities. The image of the rising sun with extended light rays
is a direct allusion to the Japanese Naval Battle Flag, which
features the risen sun with red rays emanating to the rectangular
flag's borders. After World War II, the flag became regarded as
distasteful, even socially offensive, since it represented the
violence and aggression enacted by the Japanese within Asia during
the nation's imperialism. (An American might consider it similar
to the Confederate Battle Flag, in terms of the popular emotional
reaction it incites.)
The deliberate allusion to Japan's World War II battle flag
hammers home the idea that the U. N. Party seeks--not retribution
for the East--but specifically Japanese retribution for the
use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The extension
of the light rays from the lower right corner of the flag (symbolic
of the eastern direction) extending forward beyond the battleship
visually resonates with the image of Matsuken watching Japanese
missiles and fighter planes screaming toward America.
The above explanation is incomplete, however. The flag also
suggests the ambiguity found in the ending.
Inasmuch as the red ball on the lower right of the flag could
represent the rising sun of Japanese nationalism, it also could
represent a much crueler reality for the Japanese: the detonation
of hundreds of nuclear missiles on their soil. If we view the
flag from the perspective of a player who chose to kill Matsuken,
then the red ball and the light represent Japanese destruction.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
J--BATTLESHIP ISLAND [#VIJ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Readers who lurk or post on the Gamecube Killer7 boards will
recognize the information on Battleship Island from various
threads on the board. I do not have information on the first
person to have recognized the connection between Battleship Island
in Killer7 and Gunkanjima in Japan. To whomever first noted the
connection, I apologize for the omission of your due credit.
However, I can credit (again!) Yoshiko Ohier, who redirected me
to a web site that features the work of Japanese photographer
Saiga Yuji. Saiga Yuji took many exquisite photographs of
Gunkanjima, and the physical presense of the island in the
photographs resonates with the images during the LION chapter
of Killer7.
Saiga Yuji's professional web site, in English, may be
accessed here:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/saiga/yuji/menu/menu-e.html
Another equally professional web site featuring photographs of
Gunkanjima Island is available at the following URL:
http://www14.big.or.jp/~kawamura/m-city/english_top.html
The name "Gunkanjima" translates into "Warship Island," because
its silhouette looks like a battleship cruiser from a distance.
(See Saiga Yuji's first picture for a stunning example of this.)
Since the word "Island" is included in the original name
"Gunkanjima," I will not refer to the locale as "Gunkanjima
Island," since this would be redundant. (Another name for the
island is "Hashima Island," though I will not refer to it by
this name.)
The descent into the center of the Coliseum, down several
hundreds of feet of subterranean elevation, is plausible given
Gunkanjima's remaining structure. Tunnels originally constructed
for coal mining run from Gunkanjima's surface to below the
ocean floor. The island's coal-mining days ended in 1976, when
the industrial life of a coal-miner finally became obsolete;
however, the structures remain.
In his article "Hashima: The Ghost Island," Brian Burke-Gaffney
writes: "The history of Hashima Island reads like a chronology
of changes in Japan's energy policies from the Meiji Period to
modern times." Before its popular recognition as a fuel source
in 1890, Gunkanjima was dominated by the Fukahori family;
since coal was the best fuel source next to pine wood, the
island's resources were in high demand. The island's mined coal
became a centrepiece of the region's economy. After Japan became
accessible, economically, in the 1850's, the island received
greater attention: Nagasaki--only 15 kilometers from
Gunkanjima--was one of Japan's most lucrative ports, especially
to China.
In 1887, the Fukahori family installed the first real mining
shaft in the island. Unable to do much more with modern technology,
though, the family turned the island over to the Mitsubishi
Corporation. Under Mitsubishi's ownership, the island whose
legacy we recognize in the modern, industrial ruins of Gunkanjima
began.
Before Mitsubishi took over, the Fukahori family had mined coal
using pre-modern methods: picking and chipping at exposed rock.
Mitsubishi plunged mine shafts deep into the island, to extract
coal from its source at a vein that ran beneath Gunkanjima and
its neighboring islands.
Using the slag from the excavated minerals, Mitsubishi engineered
a flat surface on top of the island's natural terrain. Upon this
flat surface, the corporation built the homes and industrial
workspaces that now exist as colossal ruins. The island was home
to Japan's first noteworthy concrete structure--erected to prevent
typhoon damage. Successive concrete buildings were erected, and
the island became an industrial city unto itself.
Gunkanjima was one of Japan's top producers of coal fuel. Its
continued operation was crucial during World War II--a war in
which victory depended keenly upon modern industrial technology
and the resources that make such technology possible. The island
became a sort of concentration camp, where Japan sent Korean and
Chinese captives to work as miners. These prisoners were kept on
starvation diets and were only regarded as work labor; the death
toll among those workers was high. These prisoners were forced
to die while working to supply their captors with fuel for naval
warships and steel for ammunition.
After World War II, Gunkanjima's resources were used to rebuild
Japan out of wartime defeat. A community grew around the economy
of the island. Almost all of the social effects of normal,
mainland life were available for the island's residents, from
housing to a Shinto shrine to groceries. As much as Gunkanjima's
economy depended upon mined coal, though, it depended just as
much upon imports from locations beyond the island's walls. As
packed as it was, the island could not afford any land to grow
food upon--in fact, given the terrain's history, it is unlikely
that food could have been grown there at all.
Gunkanjima's life started fading in the 1960's, when petroleum-
based products replaced coal as the main industrial fuel resource.
By 1976, the island's whole operation was closed; everyone
evacuated.
How, then, is Battleship Island significant?
Gunkanjima was key to Japan's military mobilization. As a
threat in the Second World War, their industrial resources
depended upon the wealth of coal-based products available from
the coal mined at Gunkanjima. Similarly, Battleship Island
(in Killer7) is implied to be the base of operations for Japan's
military activity. Here, the Heaven Smiles are "built" and
experimented with; here, missiles are installed to launch at
the United States.
In addition, the economic life of Gunkanjima reflects the
political reality of Japan, as it is explained in Killer7.
In the game's hypothetical years of 2010 and 2011, Japan
depends upon the help of other nations (most notably the United
States) for its economic stability. It is also a site of notable
resources, making it the "prize to any neighboring country"
that Travis describes it as. In the same manner, Gunkanjima
was useful as a community that provided coal resources, but
it was entirely defenseless and unable to support its own
population.
(You can't eat coal, after all.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
K--CHANNELS TEN AND ELEVEN [#VIK]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the player has unlocked Killer8, channel 10 on the
television screen offers Young Harman as an available Persona.
This brings the list of channels and Personae to completion:
Channel 1: Master Harman
Channel 2: Garcian Smith
Channel 3: Dan Smith
Channel 4: KAEDE Smith
Channel 5: Kevin Smith
Channel 6: Coyote Smith
Channel 7: Con Smith
Channel 8: MASK De Smith
Channel 9: Harman Smith
Yet, channels ten and eleven remain blank.
Some players ask why.
First off: no new Personae are available on channels eleven and
twelve. At all. Ever. In the name of Harman.
Second: I've considered channels ten and eleven from a variety
of metaphorical and symbolic points of view, and I can refine
no conclusion about any meaning of the channels beyond a simple
wish (on behalf of the design team) to remain true to the
representation of the technology.
Back in the proverbial day, televisions had channels one through
eleven, and an extra band for UHF transmissions. The UHF band in
Killer7 is changed to the dial spot where the player transfers
blood to the surgeon. That, however, seems to be the extent of
the significance of the television channels.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
L--RACISM IN KILLER7 [#VIL]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Some have inquired whether or not Killer7 is another anti-American
rant, designed to lampoon American ideology and political culture.
The curious fact about opinions of the game is that people find
it difficult to say whether or not the game favors America or
Japan. After all, the player is given a choice at the end of
the game, without editorial comment from any of the characters,
whether or not to destroy America.
Killer7 carries ambiguous anti-nationalist and racist undertones
that are difficult to extricate and understand. The cultural
and political history of Japan creates great difficulty in
separating racial distinctions from national identity, with
respect to a plot that centers on Japan-U.S. tensions.
Historically, as an island-nation, Japan has forcibly isolated
itself from other countries' political and spiritual ideologies;
specifically, Japan has reacted against Western ideologies:
until the nation was forced into Western subjugation following
World War II, it's elite cultural figures considered Communism
and Capitalism equally detestable because of their Western
origins.
Therefore, Japan came to associate its physical characteristics
with its national identity. Shiratori Kurakichi, a turn-of-the-
20th-century Japanese scholar who was charged with the education
of Emperor-to-be Hirohito, wrote a five volume discourse on
Japanese history, titled "Kokushi." In explaining Japanese racial
origins and national ideology, Shiratori wrote:
"The imperial house unified our land and people and created the
empire. Not only did it rule as the head of state, it also became
integrated with the people and the head of their religion.
Because of the ineffable feeling of intimacy between the throne
and the people, the imperial house was able to create an extremely
firm foundation for a state. However, just as the imperial house
is a line of emperors unbroken for ages eternal; the people too,
from generation to generation, father to child, have propagated
down to today. Not once has there been a change in the race.
Therefore we, descendants of the people who assisted the founder
at the time of her creation of the state, have carried out the
will of our ancestors and become eternally loyal subjects. The
successive imperial families have loved the loyal subjects of
their progenitor and always trusted in the people's cooperation
in carrying out their grand plans. This indeed is the essence
of out kokutai . . . . There is no mistake . . . in saying that
we have been a homogeneous race since antiquity" (Print source:
Bix, Herbert. "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan." Page 71.)
Certainly, the concept of homogeneous racial identity may be
disputed; the important aspect, however, is that Japanese culture
implied a self-perception of racial purity. As well, this racial
purity was tied directly to the people's relationship to their
emperor. In other words, Japanese racial identity and political
identity were regarded as inextricable. The United States shared
Japan's racist views, as illustrated in its internment of Japanese
descended Americans during World War II. As a nation at war, the
United States regarded all people "of the Japanese race" as
allies to the Japanese Emperor and, by extension, the Axis powers.
I do not think that Killer7 ascribes to the type of racism
described above. However, since that racism was a cultural ideal
that began to change as a result of the Japanese's occupation
by Allied forces after World War II, I think that Killer7 taps
into that tradition of Japanese racial-political succession for
part of its atmosphere. The Yakumo, as described in section [#II-B]
of this document, is connected directly to Japanese nationalist
identity. It is important that all of the members associated
with the U. N. Party are visibly distinct as Japanese men.
The anti-American sentiments present in Killer7 stem largely
from the implied attitudes of racism, on behalf of the
conservative Japanese ideologues in Killer7, such as Akiba,
Kurahashi, and Matsuoka.
As an American myself, I am more sensitive to the game's criticism
of America than I am to the game's criticism of Japan. However,
as a scholar who has become more aware of Japanese history, I
must recognize that I have become more sensitive to the game's
criticism of Japan, too. The game describes Japan in the
harshest terms, just like it does America: it is a politically
corrupt state, war-mongering, ignorant, and hateful. The scene
in the KAKU Building at the end of the SUNSET mission, wherein
the diplomats from the U. S. and Japan's Liberal Party shoot
each other over a symbolic game of Mah-jong, illustrates the
dual criticism of American and Japanese political ideology.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
M--HARMAN AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FREUDIAN MIND [#VIM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Harman's division into three parts suggests another aspect of
Western thought: Sigmund Freud's division of the psyche into
Superego, Ego, and Id.
Freud's psychological theories evolved constantly, during his
work as a professional psychoanalyst. Owing to the complex nature
of his theories, as well as the ways in which Western culture
has assimilated his ideas into popular awareness, a stark
difference often exists between the popular notions of Freud's
theories and Freud's actual ideas. A prime example of a popular
misuse of Freud's theories is the Austin Powers film series,
which mostly boils Freud down to phallic and vaginal symbols.
In the interest of specifying Freud's relevant ideas from the
popular notions that (often) distort his thought, I will describe
the Superego, Ego, and Id, as well as their relationships to
each other.
The Superego is a residual memory of the father-figure, often
perceived by an individual as God, a higher moral consciousness,
or any authority whose mere will is a moral expectation. H. H.
is the Harman-figure who embodies the Superego.
The Id is the individual's raw bestial energy. These are the
elements of the individual's being which are trimmed and
domesticated by civilization, because they are inherently
unsociable. They can be understood most simply as sex-impulses
and violence-impulses, all of which involve the assertion of
the individual's power upon the world beyond himself. Harman
Smith is the Harman-figure who embodies the Id.
The Ego is the individual's most acute layer of consciousness.
It mediates between the separate demands of the Id and
Superego--and, further, it mediates these two forces' desires
with the forces that intrude upon the individual's awareness
from outside the body. Of all three faculties, the Ego does
not generate anything except combinations of the demands given
by the Id and Superego, in response to objects that it
perceives as existing outside the mind. Master Harman is the
Harman-figure who embodies the Ego.
The psychic world created around Emir Parkreiner is a sort of
miniature version of the order of Western civilization, according
to Sigmund Freud's theories. Emir, a member of Western
civilization, goes to Master Harman (the Ego) with news from
the outside world; Master Harman, as the combined expression
of H. H. and Harman Smith, balances this knowledge against
the "holy" desires of H. H. and the violent desires of
Harman Smith.
Importantly, the development of Superego, Ego, and Id is started
by the problematic Oedipal complex. When the individual
(as an infant) internalizes the moral expectations of his
father, he creates the Superego; however, since the power of
this moral code outlasts the physical life of his father, it
becomes translated into what psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan called
the "Name-of-the-Father." In other words, it is the father's
law given lasting power as an abstraction.
In this sense, Iwazaru's incantation "In the name of Harman"
carries great significance. The relationship between Iwazaru
and Master Harman becomes more interesting, here; as both
represent "fathers" of Emir Parkreiner, both seem to carry a
similar presence within the psychical world. (Note that Master
Harman and Iwazaru both inhabit the same location, in Harman's
Room.) When Iwazaru speaks to the Killer7, his intonation
"In the name of Harman" suggests that he speaks on behalf of
the "Name-of-the-Father," or the Superego.
At the end of the game, when Harman Smith kills H. H. and
Kun Lan in the Forbidden Room, we see a dramatization of the
triumph of the Id over the Superego. As a psychic force within
Freud's theory, the Id must be frustrated, necessarily, by
the Superego: the Superego is the psychic force that deliberately
restricts the Id from doing whatever it pleases. As a result,
the Id desires to kill the Superego because it wants full
freedom; in Freud's Oedipal Complex, this is expressed
symbolically by a man's desire to kill his father, from whom
the moral code is taken.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
N--THREE MONKEYS [#VIN]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Many individuals with some education in the Japanese language
have remarked that Iwazaru, his wife, and the spirit who helps
find the Soul Shells are named after the Japanese words for
"Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil." Iwazaru's name
translates into "Speak no evil;" Mizaru's name translates
into "See no evil;" and Kikazaru translates into "Hear no evil."
Their names suggest a close relationship to each other. Mizaru
and Iwazaru's relationship is apparent enough; they were married.
If you ascribe to the interpretation of the game described in
this document, they were Emir Parkreiner's parents. However,
not enough information is provided for Kikazaru to determine
what relationship, if any, he has to the other two.
Their names suggest qualities of their relationship to their
former lives. As Iwazaru was the former psychic presence of Kun
Lan within Harman Smith, he is given the name "Speak no evil,"
meaning that he is to speak nothing against H. H. ever again.
(Note, also, that Kun Lan's calling card laughter is also an
extension of the mouth and speech.) As Mizaru was Emir
Parkreiner's mother--and she sexually desired her own son--her
name is "See no evil;" the eyes are credited often as cultural
symbols for desire and lust.
Again, as little information is provided regarding Kikazaru, it
is difficult to speculate on his identity. As such, it is
difficult to speculate on why he earned the name "Hear no evil."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
O--MESSIAHS [#VIO]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the Christian tradition, Jesus Christ began his ministry on
earth when he was thirty years old. His ministry lasted for
three years, at the end of which he was crucified by the Roman
Empire and resurrected from the dead. His resurrection resulted
in the opening of a relationship between God and humanity,
through which human sins could be overcome.
The messianic symbolism is used heavily in Killer7. When we
start the game, we learn that we are starting "Mission 34" of
the Killer7's career. Symbolically, we are in a dangerous area,
since we are past the messianic point of no-return. Further,
Garcian Smith is described as being thirty years old--the age
at which Christ began his ministry on earth.
Likewise, Kenjiro Matsuoka is thirty years old. While Matsuken
has not shared the personal history of rebirths that Emir
Parkreiner has, he is "adopted" by Kun Lan. (One might almost
call Matsuken's scene at the opening of SUNSET PART TWO his
"baptism.")
Think of Emir Parkreiner and Kenjiro Matsuoka as messianic
opposites; given the relativism of the game's political
perspective, this makes both Emir and Matsuken messiahs and
anti-messiahs. Both are born in the "heartlands" of their
respective countries. Hulbert's tapes recognize Emir as having
been born in Alabama, in the American South, from which almost
all of the United States' culturally distinct art comes.
(Think: jazz, blues, rock and roll, and William Faulkner all
come from Southern roots, and all the art is based in the life
of the American South.) Matsuken is described on Capcom-Japan's
web site as having been born in Hiroshima, the heart of Japan's
post-World War II self-consciousness. Alabama and Hiroshima
are twin Bethlehems for the messiahs of Killer7.
The time period between the end of SMILE and the LION mission
is three years. Since both men are thirty years old at the time
of SMILE, this makes them thirty-three years old at the time of
LION. In other words, both of them are ripe for crucifixion; if
the player chooses to crucify Matsuken, then Japan's messiah dies;
if the player chooses to let Matsuken live, he implicitly crucifies
Emir as America's messiah.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
P--KENJIRO MATSUOKA AS SUGGESTIVE OF YOSUKE MATSUOKA [#VIP]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Going along with the parallel relationships between the ideological
factions in Killer7 and the ideological differences that arose
within (and against) Japanese political culture around the time
of Japan's involvement in World War II, we might view Kenjiro
Matsuoka as a reflection of Japan's WWII foreign minister, Yosuke
Matsuoka.
Matsuken (from Killer7) represents conservative, isolationist
Japanese ideals of total domination and the capitulation of
flaccid democratic ideals. In a 1940 interview given by Yosuke
Matsuoka, in order to provoke the American public's awareness of
Japan's military and ideological presence, is quoted as having
said:
"In the battle between democracy and totalitarianism the latter
adversary will without question win and will control the world.
The era of democracy is finished and the democratic system is
bankrupt. There is not room in the world for two different
systems or for two different economies . . . . Facism will
develop in Japan through the people's will. It will come out
of their love for the Emperor."
[Print source: Bix, Herbert. "Hirohito and the Making of Modern
Japan. Perennial Publishing: 2001. pg. 374.]
Even in the selection of Matsuken's name, we see a parallel between
the game's political entities and the political activity of WWII
Japan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: A FEW NOTES ON THE MEANING OF 'EMIR PARKREINER' [#VIQ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Emir" is a name derived from an French word, "?mir," which in
turn is derived from the Arabic word, "'amara," which means
"to command." As a name, "Emir" means "a prince, a chieftain,
or a governor." It can apply to the leader of a holy Muslim
pilgrimage; in general, it connotes a leader of people who are
traveling or working toward an ultimate destination or goal.
"Park" is a cognate, between German and English. It can mean a
literal park; as well, it can connote a garden.
"Reiner" is a German adjective, generally meaning "more pure;
clearer; more chaste." On the meaning of "Reiner," Markus Pfeffer,
a German reader of this document, writes:
"There's more: 'Reiner' (also written as 'Rainer') is a
common german name. Looking it up in a name lexicon reveals
the following: It is derived from the medieval name Raginhari,
which translates to "the words 'decision' and 'army'. It is
not clear if it is a decision OF or FOR the army."
Again, Pfeffer is due credit for informing me on the specific
use and nature of the word "reiner": the word is a comparative
word--meaning, in English, that it would end with the suffix
'-er' to imply that one object has more of a certain quality
than another object. It is not a superlative word--meaning,
it does not mean "purest" or "most chaste."
Taken all together, the name "Emir Parkreiner" can mean
"Leader to the Holy Gardens." Importantly, the identity of the
"Holy Gardens" is qualified using a comparative adjective.
The gardens are more pure than other gardens, and these two
places are being compared with each other in terms of holiness.
The comparative nature of "reiner" reinforces the decision
made at the end of LION.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
R--KILLER7 AS COMMENTARY ON JAPANESE POP CULTURE [#VIR]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With all of the symbolism and historical references woven
through Killer7, one should ask, "What is intended to be
communicated by these references?"
Many answers to this question can be provided. The one that
most interests me, now, is the ironic inversion of the fate
experienced by post-World War II Japan, at the hands of the
Allied (American) Occupation.
At the time of the Occupation's end, Japan was ostensibly
"reborn" as a Western democracy. The specific factors involved
in the "rebirth" were cultural. Three central influences were
regarded as having led to Japanese participation in World War
II: first, Bushido ideology; second, an isolationist (yet
imperialistic) foreign policy; and, finally, a cultural belief
in conservative Japanese values--values that regarded the
family as higher than the individual, the emperor-god higher
than the family, and the god of the emperor higher than the
emperor-god. The Allied Occupation's specific goal was to
convert the defeated nation of Japan from its feudalistic
origins--including cultural socialism and Bushido ideology--
into a state modeled as a Western democracy.
In order to accomplish this goal, the Allied Occupation was
forced to filter and censor the literature created by native
Japanese writers. The two biggest targets of censorship were
(1) anti-American sentiments and (2) any explicit reverence
for the conservative cultural values that made the Japanese
participation in World War II possible. Through the control of
the media, the Allied Occupation Forces succeeded in
establishing a long-term democratic state out of the feudal
conditions of pre-World War II Japan.
This is very important to keep in mind, when we think about
how Killer7 reverses this against America. First, think about
how the American Allied Occupation Forces undermined Japanese
culture: control of the media and the cultural images. Now,
think about all of the images in the game: anime angels, Ayame
Blackburn's transforming schoolgirl routine, Sentai heroes,
and ISZK branded on the televisions and amusement parks--
representing "Yoishi Ishizaka," the post-World War II Japanese
fiction writer. All of the cultural images rendere from
Japanese pop culture are throw-backs to pre-World War II
feudal Japanese culture. The anime angels and the transforming
schoolgirl routine express the absolute certainty of virtue
assumed by one who lives according to Bushido ethics: the
morality implies an intrinsic superiority of the challenger
(either angel or schoolgirl) over the challenged forces. As
well, the Handsome Men Sentai fighters suggest the activity of
Bushido values. Instead of settling the battle with Dan Smith
at Trevor Pearlharbor's Dominican home, they arrange a formal
duel in New York City--and take death before any loss of
honor.
In the fictional world of Killer7, we see a reverse of the
"cultural persuasion" that the West forced on Japan: we
undermined traditional Japanese values with Western ideals of
individualism that exceeds loyalty to code and government, and
the Japanese (in Killer7) are undermining Western ideals of
individuality and a reverence for private truth with Bushido
ideology, that emphasizes self-sacrifice and righteous
violence.
During the Allied Occupation, the cultural subversion occurred
parallel to Japan's governmental reformation. In Killer7, the
cultural subversion is likewise accompanied with governmental
reformation. There are two different layers to this
reformation, though, and I want to present this carefully. It
can get tricky.
The first layer is the most obvious: by controlling the key
voting district in the United States, Japanese interests will
prevail through the accepted means of American governmental
operation. This is accomplished through Coburn Elementary
School's brainwashing--which involves the indoctrination of
young students into the ideals of the Yakumo.
Earlier in this document, I quoted GameFAQs user Yoshiko
Ohier, who explained:
"Acoording to the CAPCOM official web site in Japanese, Yakumo
is a text which was created by 7 Japanese
founders(politicians) in the past. The Yakumo (text) is said
to have a power to change the world."
In other words--just as we indoctrinated Japanese children
with the ideals of Western democracy, at the expense of their
native religion and government, THE JAPANESE ARE
INDOCTRINATING AMERICAN CHILDREN under the ideals of Japanese
governmental ideals at the expense of their native belief in
individuality and democratic process.
The second layer is quite difficult to explain. I will try my
best. I will start by addressing the fallacy of the location
of Coburn Elementary school, with respect to the claims made
about it.
Of Coburn Elementary school, Travis says: "This is the spot
where the homeland's elections originate. The spot for the
primaries for the first presidential election. The first
president of the US was the principal of this school. Win over
your neighbors, and win over the world. That's the way
politics works."
Two things seem off, in what Travis says. First, the ideal of
"Win over your neighbors, and win over the world" does not
express the ideal execution of a democratic republic. Rather,
it suggests the warring territoriality of feudalism. Second,
Travis claims that "the first president of the US was the
principal of this school"--yet, the school is in Washington
State--and Washington State only entered the Union after the
Civil War. (Needless to say, the first presidential election
was finished by that time.)
The easy way to resolve this would be to conclude that the
game developers didn't know much about American history when
they made the decision to place Coburn in Washington State.
However, that conclusion seems inconsistent with the care
taken to associate characters and events with specific
historical occasions.
The more difficult way--and, from my perspective, the truer
way--is to conclude that the OBVIOUS fallacy behind the
suggestion that George Washington was the principal of a
school that existed in a state that was only a guess on the
left edge of a map of the New England territories MEANS that
we are being lied to.
What are we being lied to about? "That's the way politics
works."
If we, as players role-playing Garcian/Emir's circumstances,
believe that politics works just as Travis explains, then we
have lost our Western identity and accepted feudal ideals in
their stead. Linda Vermilion tells us to "see with our own
eyes how the system works, and then decide." Yet, all of the
information that leads to the conclusion that politics works
as Travis has described is SECOND-HAND information. We haven't
seen how the system works at all, if we are going by Travis'
explanations.
What, then, can we say that we saw? When the curtain pulled up
behind Greg Nightmare's bloated corpse in the gymnasium, we
saw a stage running into the distance, filled with voting
booths. Think of voting booths on the stage, and think of who
fills them (American citizens of a democratic republic)--and,
then, think of Benjamin Keane's words as a Remnant Psyche:
"The actor pulls the curtain himself." The one who opened the
curtain--Garcian--is also the actor, the voter. Taken
together, this affirms that a democratic process exists in the
fictional America of Killer7--but it also affirms that the
democratic process is DYING, owing to both terrorism and
Americans forsaking their native culture and governmental
system in the interest of ancient Japanese culture and
government.
The Yakumo represent the ancient Japanese culture and
government. One layer of significance to the scene at the
opening of SUNSET-PART 2 is its illustration of the principles
by which the Yakumo operates. The principles of the Yakumo's
operation seem remarkably similar to the operation of Japanese
culture and government during the Meiji and Showa periods of
Japanese history--the decades before Japan's occupation by
Allied forces!
Before I explain how the old men (Kurahashi & Akiba) in
SUNSET-PART 2 illustrate pre-Occupation Japanese ideology, I
would like to draw a parallel between the education given to
the students at Coburn Elementary, and the educational goals
of pre-Occupied Japan.
Pre-Occupied Japan educated its children to be able to
mobilize as a violent force, as well as to conform to the
culture's religious and nationalistic ideals. The training
described by Hulbert, in his tapes, suggests that the students
at Coburn Elementary are trained in precisely the same ways:
they are either trained to become assassins (a mobilized
violent force) or they are indoctrinated with Japanese
nationalistic ideals, in order to pursue those ideals from
within American government positions.
Now, to address the relevance of Kurahashi and Akiba. Their
actions offer a direct insight into the principles that the
Yakumo seems to advocate, and they are similar to the
political realities during the Meiji Period. During the Meiji
Period, the emperor's power was superceded by a small group of
elite elder men. They possessed political control of the
government, despite the Japanese Emperor's more public
presence. Prior to the Meiji Period, a more rugged version of
oligarchy prevailed during the Edo Period, when samurai and
shoguns possessed most of the political power. Succession in
power was either determined by familial relationships, or by
vassal relationships. Often, though, a younger man with great
expectations might kill an older man whose position he wants
to fill.
When Kurahashi and Akiba tell Matsuoka to kill himself, they
are suggesting that his suicide would be better for him than
his dishonor as an inept young member of the U. N. Party. This
accords with Bushido ethics regarding honor and its
importance. However, they also say that they killed many of
their own elders when they were younger--and, further, that
they are prepared to die at any moment! They talk as though
they have lived through a time dominated by Bushido ideals, in
which political succession is determined by the violence of
ambitious youth against the older generation.
Kun Lan's manipulation of Kurahashi and Akiba--transforming
them into Heaven Smiles--also suggests the influence of the
Shinto reverence for ancestors. The contradiction in this
management of political affairs seems obvious: one can only
ascend to political significance by killing one's elders--yet,
once killed, one's elders become more significant. Much as
Matsuoka becomes more in tune with the Yakumo ideals followed
by Kurahashi and Akiba (after he is touched by Kun Lan), a
successor in a Shinto culture would simultaneously dispatch
his elders, and then fall into a reverent relationship with
them.
These, then, are some of the principles of the Yakumo ideals
of political operation. Emir Parkreiner has already enacted
the Yakumo ideals by killing Harman and the Harman Assassins.
He is named SPECIFICALLY as "the successor" to the chief, and
he earned that position by killing Harman Smith--his childhood
mentor. Before we take control of the Killer7, the Japanese
process of succession of power has already been put into
motion.
Yet, when we play the game, we interact with the Killer7
through means similar to the process of voting on a candidate
in a democratic republic! We approach the television, as
though it were a voting booth, and we select the "candidate"
who seems most likely to overcome the obstacles that confront
us.
Julie Kusagi tells the player to "hand over the Yakumo,"
insinuating that Garcian possesses the knowledge of the code.
If we look at the seven virtues associated with the Bushido
ideology, and if we compare them with the members of the
Killer7 (counting Harman as one of the seven), we see that
each member of the Killer7 represents the opposite of one of
the Bushido virtues.
Courage (Yu)--This conflicts with Kevin Smith, who turns
invisible and can escape a fight better than any of the other
seven.
Honesty (Makoto)--This conflicts with Coyote Smith, who is a
thief.
Respect (Rei)--This conflicts with Con Smith, who's a fourteen
year old punk.
Loyalty (Chuugi)--This conflicts with KAEDE Smith, whose
bloodstained clothes suggests that she is traitorous.
Honor (Meiyo)--This conflicts with Dan Smith, who (as the
Hellion) will kill however he can.
Benevolence (Jin)--This conflicts with MASK De Smith, whose
pure power does not admit to any of the restraint required for
benevolent action.
Rectitude/Right Decisions/Justice (Gi)--This conflicts with
Harman Smith, who is unjust and brutal.
If, as Yoshiko has suggested, Andrei Ulmeyda possessed the
"eight part" of the Yakumo--possibly his blood, for its
purity--then Garcian is in full possession of the seven
"clouds" or "spirits" that constitute the remainder of the
Yakumo. Notice how Garcian speaks to Master Harman (as
distinct from Harman Smith) with reverence, like a samurai
addressing his shogun. Garcian is in full possession of the
Yakumo--and he is fully possessed by it, as well.
What, then, does this mean for us, as players who do not live
daily in the world of Killer7?
I believe that Killer7 is a subtle and brilliant cultural
criticism of the intermingling between Eastern and Western
cultures and ideals. it artfully juxtaposes actual historical
relationships between the United States and Japan with
fictional circumstances that illustrate the reality of the
cultural relationship between America and Japan. In Killer7,
we see a description of our age--and, perhaps, a choice about
how to react to it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
S--SUGGESTED POLITICAL MEANING IN KILLER7 [#VIS]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The political meaning of Killer7 should also be addressed, as a
related (but different) subject from the cultural meaning.
Since the game involves the political activity of both Japan and
the United States of America, it will be useful to regard the
narrative as a commentary upon the political characters of both
nations.
After the Second World War, liberal-minded Japanese citizens used
Japan's defeat as a circumstance to advocate "degeneracy." By
"degeneracy," they did not mean insurrection, violence, or other
criminal behavior; rather, they meant a cultural "degeneracy"
from the conservative Bushido and Shinto values that resulted in
the manipulation of the Japanese population during World War II.
As explained elsewhere in this document, "kamikaze" fighting was
the Japanese military's most unique and idiosyncratic tactic. It
developed as an extension of Bushido ethics, specifically with
respect to an idea called "kokutai."
The "kokutai" is, literally, "community spirit." However, such a
minimal interpretation neglects to explain the whole meaning of
the idea. Japan's kokutai is its spiritual existence, which is
also its political existence. The concept was most actively em-
ployed for the purpose of political persuasion before the Second
World War. Essentially, it was a belief steeped in Shinto reli-
gious doctrines that Japan (as a nation) had a soul, and each of
the Japanese were portions of Japan's soul. Various factions
defined the kokutai differently, over time; by the time of the
Second World War, the faction with political power defined the
kokutai along conservative ideological lines. The spirit of
Japan lay within the imperial house, and it was nothing less than
the continued existence of the Emperor and his throne.
Kamikazi fighting tactics, in a sense, were violent expressions
of the kokutai. The "divine winds" alluded to in the name given
to kamikaze fighters were important facets of conservative Japan-
ese ideology, as explained in the following excerpt from Herbert
Bix's biography of Emperor Hirohito.
"[The conservative pamphlet 'Kokutai no hongi'] emphasized
the centrality of the family-state, home, and ancestors, and
reminded readers that the 'divine winds' (kamikaze), which
had twice saved Japan from Mongol invasions in the late
thirteenth century, proved indisputably Japan's divinity
and indestructability" (pg 314).
Indeed, ancestry connects the thirteenth century "divine winds"
with the Second World War kamikaze fighters. Japanese Lieutenant
Colonel Eiichiro Jo, a skilled figher pilot who drew up the first
detailed plan for the military use of suicide pilots, was descended
from the Kyushu warrior Takefusa Kikuchi, a samurai who partici-
pated in the same wars against the Mongols that involved the
intervention of the "divine winds."
The idea of the kamikaze fighters--a violent expression of Japan's
justification as a divine presence--may be argued to serve as an
image of extremist, conservative Japanese ideology. When the war
became more clearly lost by Japan, the emperor and his court be-
lieved that even the horror of the atomic bombs would not deter
Japan's victory.
"Mobilized in the service of death, the collective memory of
the 'divine winds' (kamikaze) that would save Japan helped to
maintain the will to fight on" (Bix 496).
American intelligence analysts observed the Japanese population's
behavior, especially after American bomber dropped leaflets into
Japanese cities to drop the nation's morale toward the war effort,
as a means of psychological warfare. Much to the Americans' sur-
prise, the psychological tactics were ineffective. Bix explains:
"They saw how the Japanese had fought and died on Okinawa--
thousands almost daily for eight-two days--and how the whole
nation had become enveloped in the imagery of national sal-
vation through mass suicide" (pg 496).
Kamikaze tactics, extremist conservative thought, war in the name
of Japan's kokutai, and Bushido ethics--liberal-minded Japanese
writers saw these influences as factors that contributed to Japan's
destruction during World War II. They believed that these influ-
ences resulted in a nation that would destroy itself, trying to
destroy others in the name of Japan. In a pivotal post Second
World War essay, Japanese writer Sakaguchi Ango contrasted the
conservative Japanese values with an idea that he gave the name
of the essay: "On Decadence." Disgusted with the worship of a
political idea of honor, Ango declared that "Japan had lost and
Bushido had crumbled, but humanity had been born for the first
time in the true womb of decadence. We must live! We must fall
into decadence!" Ango argues that decadence is humane, and it is
the weakness and the ugliness that Japanese honor--Bushido--sought
to defend human dignity against. Ango argues that he intervention
of Bushido honor upon human nature, though, is ghastly. In an
important passage, he writes:
"There is no way to prevent humanity itself from its natural
degeneration from virtue to mediocrity, then finally into hell.
Even if we establish moral codes such as those forbidding a
virtuous widow from looking at another man or for a loyal re-
tainer from serving another lord, there is nothing we can do
to stop the degeneration of humanity. We can successfully
preserve a woman's virginal purity by killing her, but when
we hear the footsteps of decadence approaching with the inev-
itability of waves crashing against the shore we cannot help
but remember that preserving her petty virginal purity through
petty human action holds nothing more than the empty trans-
ience of a phantasm."
[Digital source: http://mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/papers/
scholars/Smith/SAKAGUCHI.html]
Ango affirmed that the Japanese people could no longer follow the
strenuous demands of Bushido ethics. In his essay "Occupation
Censorship," published in the Journal of Japanese Studies, Paul
Rubin writes that:
"The last thing [the Japanese people] needed was high-minded
idealism, more preaching about 'spirit' triumphing over the
'material civilization' of the West, such as had gotten them
into the war to begin with."
The cultural and political change that Ango called for--and that
liberalism in Japanese culture stood for, after the Second World
War--was a retraction from Bushido and cultish worship of the
kokutai.
Killer7's political commentary directed toward Japan is most
striking during the scene at the beginning of SMILE, when Liberal
Party member Hiro Kasai falls from the top of a building in
Washington, DC, while U. N. Party leader Matsuken watches. The
scene has led many players to think that Matsuken killed the man
who became Iwazaru, as a remnant psyche. However, the bondage
gear does not signify that Iwazaru and Kasai are identical; rather,
it signifies that they are similar in their relationship to the
sadist-figure, the domme.
Byron Fenstermaker, a reader of this document who has written me,
provides a fascinating insight regarding Kasai's appearance in
bondage gear:
"To make a broad and sweeping generalization, Japanese, as a
nation, are generally repulsed by the notion of body modi-
fication. Tattoos alone are frowned upon, and no Japanese
businessman or official who wanted to retain ties to any
branch of government would EVER have nipple piercings. In a
country where one can lose their job for wearing a colored
suit to work, and where unemployment and suicide do go
hand-in-hand, any informant who underwent modification --
tattoos, piercings, and similar -- would be worse than
useless."
Fenstermaker follows his explanation with this suggestion:
"It may be possible that Harman orchestrated his death, but
he seems to be a willing participant, perhaps looking for
the ultimate danger, sexualizing it, and allowing him to end
his own life at the same time."
Before I continue to use Fenstermaker's suggestions and insights
as supports for my understanding of Killer7, I would like to note
that he wrote the cited quotations while arguing that the jumper
was not Kasai, but, rather, Iwazaruscof. We disagree on this point,
but I am delighted use his correspondence to build a relevant
argument of my own.
Kasai, then, bears the appearance of one who practices forbidden
self-mutilation, according to Japanese cultural expectations of
politicians. As well, he appears at least somewhat willing to
stand on the edge of the roof with Matsuken. It seems clear that
Matsuken is the individual responsible for Kasai's body-mutilation.
Despite the fact that they are political rivals, Matsuken and
Kasai both appear as willing participants in--as Fenstermaker
writes--sexualizing or fetishizing their political opposition.
I believe that the scene suggests the difficult relationship be-
tween liberalism and Bushido conservatism in Japanese political
culture, as it intensified after the Second World War. A liberal
approach requires a refutation of conservative Bushido principles
and Shinto-based ideals. Yet, Japanese cultural identity is in-
tertwined with those same ideologies. The architecture of Toru
Fukushima's restaurant visually embodies much of conservative
Japanese culture: the Shinto arches, the paper-door architecture,
and the directional guardian statues standing at the North and
South of his Guest Rooms all hearken to the mythic emperor-shogun-
retainer ideals of Japan's past. Yet, a Japanese liberal holds
his political and ideological views in order to SAVE Japan--
culturally, politically, and materially--from the destruction that
allegiance to Bushido ideals required from Japan in World War II.
Japanese liberalism exists in a state of contradiction: it must
refuse to live according to customary Japanese values, in order
to save Japanese identity from self-destruction--and the Japanese
identity that it must save lies precisely in those values that
Japanese liberalism must deny.
The scene on top of the building in Washington, DC, dramatizes
the relationship between Japanese liberalism and Bushido values.
Liberalism, in Japan, is described as masochistic; Kasai allows
Matsuken to torture him, as a sexualized dramatization of Japanese
liberalism's relationship to conservative reverence for the
kokutai. Killer7's statement on Japanese politics is harsh: the
effort to reform Japanese political activity will capitulate be-
cause of Japanese liberalism's worship of its own shame, in front
of Bushido values. When the time comes for either liberalism or
conservatism to rise above the other, liberalism will die willing-
ly because it will love Bushido conservatism for punishing it.
Hiro Kasai lives the fate of those who embrace "decadence."
Killer7's criticism of contemporary American politics is easier
for me to identify, since I (as an American) am more intimately
aware of American political activity. In short, because of the
narrative's implication that the U. S. Government has been taken
over by politicians raised under the influence of conservative
Japanese ideology, the United States is compared with pre-Second
World War Japan. Comparison between pre-Second World War Japan
and contemporary American politics reveals strong similarities.
Two similarities stand out among others, between Showa Japan and
contemporary U. S. politics: hegemonic wars and the identification
of national aims with divine aims.
Currently, America is involved with a difficult war in Iraq. The
war has been pronounced "over," even though soldier still suffer
by the work of terrorists and insurgents. The circumstances
leading to the United States' attack on Hussein's Iraq and the
circumstances leading to Showa Japan's attack on China bear
remarkable similarities. As well, the results of the invasions
are likewise similar.
First, some history should be given on Showa Japan's assault into
China. As stated elsewhere in this document, Japan believed that
it was the spiritual and political ruler of the East. It sought
to save the East from contamination by the West. In order to do
this, it needed to expand its political and military control into
the Asian continent. Such expansion was difficult, however, due
to Russia's presence just north of China; during Emperor Meiji's
reign, a war between Japan and Russia left relations between the
two nations sour.
To understand the development of Japan's attack and acquisition
of Manchuria, it should be understood that pre-World War II
Japan's political and military groups were not organized as the
United States'. While the United States military is subject to
orders from the political body, the Japanese military, navy, and
political government were separate entities who coordinated with
each other. Owing to the principle of the kokutai, and that the
soul of Japan resided in the imperial house, the political gov-
ernment (whose center was the imperial house) was regarded as
the body from whom approval must ultimately come for justifica-
tion of any military action. However, owing to a breakdown in
military discipline and an increasing disillusionment among
members of the Japanese army and navy, these factions often acted
on their own accord, seeking approval for their actions AFTER the
fact.
On 18 September 1931, the Japanese army in China--the Kwantung
Army--ignited the string of battles and political decisions that
began the Manchurian war that resulted in the establishment of
Manchukuo, a Japanese state in China.
The leaders of the Kwantung Army wanted to increase the Japanese
Empire's presence in continental China; however, imperialism is
never justified, diplomatically. The imperialist impulse is to
take, and not to justify the taking; when a nation must be held
responsible for imperialist action, though, some justification
must be offered to other nations, to whom the aggressor is
accountable. In 1932, Japan was held accountable to the League
of Nations, formed at the end of the First World War. However,
Japan perceived the entire League of Nations as a conspiracy
against the East--it believed that the rules of the League that
banned aggressive warfare could not work in the East.
The pretext for their attack on Manchuria was self-defense.
Acting without informing Emperor Hirohito of their plans, Kwan-
tung officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Ishiwara blew up a
Japanese-controlled railway line. As they had vandalized their
own nation's property covertly, they blamed the explosion on
the Chinese military. Using the artificial attack as a pretext,
the Kwantung Army attacked the Chinese soldiers stationed
nearby.
Even though the Kwantung Army acted independently, their actions
were not without sympathizers in Japanese political life.
"On every occasion between 1928 and 1931, [Japan's politicians]
sought to leave open the possibility of exercising force in
China in the name of self-defense" (Bix, 224).
Even after having learned that the Kwantung Army had acted without
respecting the need for imperial approval of aggressive actions,
Emperor Hirohito did not intervene. None of the conspirators
were punished; in fact, many of them were given imperial rescripts,
which were high honors bestowed upon military figures from the
Emperor. When questioned by other nations' diplomats regarding
the apparent violation of the Covenant of the League of Nations,
the Japanese government defended itself by arguing that the Army
had acted without imperial approval, on the grounds of "operational
autonomy"--that is, the authority to respond to an emergency sit-
uation without waiting for approval from the Japanese Emperor.
(The fact that the emergency was fabricated by the Army itself
was still a dubious matter, with respect to the information avail-
able to other nations' diplomats.)
Emperor Hirohito allowed the Kwantung Army to continue acting
without respect to imperial will, because "[he] was not seriously
opposed to seeing his army expand his empire. If that involved
a brief usurpation of his authority, so be it--as long as the
operation was successful" (Bix 240). The Emperor's Machiavellian
approach to discipling his military forces supports the idea
that the political figures (including the Emperor) had wanted to
attack China while remaining legal within the rules of the Covenant
of the League of Nations. When the Kwantung Army advanced into
Manchuria, they were not seriously opposed to the mutiny, because
the Army had accomplished what the politicians had wanted all
along.
After the initial attack, subsequent assaults by the Japanese
were similarly rationalized. Japan's foreign minister sent a
message to the Associated Press of New York that some of the
battles had been fought because "[when] the Chinese attacked,
[the Kwantung Army] could not but perform the duty for which they
were there--namely, to repel the attack and prevent its re-
petition" (Bix 243).
After the fighting, justified on the pretext that the Japanese
were saving the lives and well-being of Japanese people in China,
Japan established Manchukuo--a puppet regime that deferred its
resources and land to Japan. Japan often tried to have Manchukuo
recognized as a nation, but the efforts never succeeded.
Japan had won its war in China. The rest of the world disapproved,
but did nothing beyond light economic sanctions. Happy with vic-
tory, brimming with national and racial pride, Japan thought of
itself in terms that would ultimately bring the nation to defeat
during World War II.
"[Japan's most chauvanistic political party's leader] had
publicly rejected the League of Nations' recommendations on
Manchuria and declared (in a phrase that recurs through the
whole history of twentieth-century Japanese diplomacy) that
Japan should 'escape from the diplomacy of apology' and de-
velop a 'new, more autonomous road'" (Bix 245).
Aggression given bad justification was permitted, internationally.
The next step was aggression without justification at all. Japan
had the former Manchuria's resources, and it had obtained it as
an expression of its national worth.
Japan's involvement with Manchuria is similar to America's present
involvement with Iraq. Credible allegations exist that suggest
that the United States' invasion of Iraq was planned at the begin-
ning of President Bush's administration. The United States pre-
varicated its motivations to attack, describing them as a "pre-
emptive strike." The associations made between the Iraqi targets
and the supposed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's) were self-
serving allegations, offered to provide international justification
for an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation. Yet, the justifi-
cation for invasion was not regarding WMD's alone, but in the in-
terest of "protecting American citizens" from extremist aggressors
in the Middle East.
On the pretext of preventing harm done to American citizens, the
United States attacked Iraq when the nation had not provoked a
war. In both Japan's Manchuria Incident and America's Iraq War,
the violence was ignited on unjustifiable grounds and eventually
led to a protracted battle between local insurgents and the inva-
ding armies. Both Japan and America attempted to establish gov-
ernments in the conquered territories that seemed distrustfully
identical to the government of the invading country. And both
countries conveniently "defended themselves" against opponents
whose land held valuable resources for the invading nation's in-
dustrial activity.
Beyond the Manchurian/Iraq similarity, present-day America bears
similarity to Showa Japan, with respect to its patriotic ideals.
Both opponents and proponents of the United States' Patriot Acts
are engaged in an ideological battle that centers upon the defin-
ition of a single word: patriotism. The question arises: what
does it mean to have patriotic spirit? To whom is one's patriot-
ism ultimately responsible?
This document's purpose is not to attempt to answer these questions,
but to show that the game Killer7 implies a connection between
Japan's cultural struggle to define "kokutai" and America's struggle
to define "patriotism." Further, I would argue that the game
suggests that the definition of patriotism that is winning, cul-
turally, is closer to the imperialistic definition of the Japanese
kokutai than anything else.
In order to illustrate the relationship between Showa Japan's and
present-day America's cultural disagreements on the meaning of a
nation's identity, some explanation of the varieties of interpret-
ations of "Japan's kokutai" should be given. A conference presen-
tation by University of Toronto History professor John Brownlee
provides a useful overview of the varying definitions of kokutai,
within Japan's political culture.
The most liberal definition of the kokutai was presented by a
man named Hiroyuki Kato. Brownlee describes one of Kato's more
important details, in his kokutai definition: " . . . Kato made
a distinction between the Kokutai, the National Essence, and the
seitei, the form of government" (Brownlee 2000). The kokutai was
the eternal Japan that transcended human governance; the seitai
was the current governmental body of Japan.
Pushing Kato's liberal definition a little further, writer Yukichi
Fukuzawa claimed that the kokutai was not a matter of Japan's
government's structure, but in its national sovereignty. By
placing the spirit of Japan within the context of national sover-
eignty, Fukuzawa ran headlong into the conservative definitions
of his political countrymen, who believed that the kokutai re-
sided wholly in the Japanese imperial house.
The Japanese Emperor was the conservatives' idea of the kokutai.
They believed that only Japan had a line of emperors whose un-
broken line of succession extended back to primordial history,
and that the emperor was always a direct descendant of the gods.
To the frustration of many secular Americans, the group of
people known as "the religious right" often expresses approval
with President Bush's policies and ideals on the grounds that
he is a confessing Christian who wants to involve his religious
beliefs in political activity. In America, similar debates
occur on the definition of "patriotism," and most often the
conservative definitions require deferment to Presidential
authority as key factors in patriotic behavior. More liberal
definitions, however, believe that the "patriotic spirit" of
America exists independently of the government, and that the
government should be viewed as transient with respect to the
nation's identity and well-being.
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VII: CONCLUSION (WITH A NOTE ABOUT JACK THOMPSON) [#VII]
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In an eMail dated 5 August 2005, from Jack Thompson (Florida
attorney) to Patricia Vance (President of the E.S.R.B.),
Thompson argues for the re-casting of Killer7 from a Mature
rating to an Adults Only rating.
Thompson reasoned that the content of Killer7--in the wake of
the "Hot Coffee" controversy directed at Rockstar Games'
release Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas--could not stand the
scrutiny of an eye that valued the protection of children from
sexually explicit material. Presumably, the same standards of
decency and honest evaluation that the E.S.R.B. is accused of
having relaxed for GTA:SA have been relaxed for Killer7, too.
Thompson cites Matt Casamassina's review of Killer7, written
for IGN.com and published on 1 July 2005, as evidence against
Capcom's experimental release. Specifically, he quotes
Casamassina's statement that: "We can't stress it enough: kids
should not play Killer 7. Not just because there's an M on the
box, but because for once that M really means something.
There's much more than blood and guts in the game. Everything
from the design of puzzles to the subject matter is designed
for older players and it's really that simple." Thompson later
quotes Casamassina's comment that "And there are cinematics
that feature full-blown sex sequences" (Web resource:
http://cube.ign.com/articles/630/630908p3.html).
Since this Plot Analysis addresses Killer7 as a game that "is
designed for older players," I believe that it should include
a brief commentary on Casamassina's quoted statements, as well
as Thompson's activity and claims.
I agree with the spirit of Casamassina's comments. As a
twenty-five year old college graduate, who has traveled
globally and experienced many things, I reacted emotionally to
the scene in which Curtis Blackburn threw Pedro's daughter's
severed head at him. This scene alone is reason enough to deny
almost all gamers under the age of 18 access to the title. The
violence is more intense than mere senseless violence--it is
infused with an intelligence that acts cruelly, deliberately,
and without penitance. Certainly, I do not believe that the
material should have been removed from the game; the purpose
of Curtis Blackburn's portrayal is to create pathos in the
player against him. It is essentially good Greek drama,
wherein pathos is created for the purpose of later catharsis.
This type of villain, however, is inappropriate for almost all
teenagers.
Thompson offers a cunning piece of sophistry, with respect to
Casamassina's statement that "for once that M rating really
means something." Thompson argues that--because Killer7
deserves the rating it received--it should be given a harsher
and more dishonest rating: Adults Only.
Many commentators on the E.S.R.B. rating system have ridiculed
the distinction between the ratings of Mature (17+ only) and
Adults Only (18+ only). They focus on the single year of
maturity that sets the ratings apart, and conclude that the
difference is arbitrary. While their argument may be valid, it
is distracting from the real significance of the difference
between the ratings of Mature and Adults Only. The Adults Only
rating is a symbolic statement of the game's content--implying
that the content has portrayed adult circumstances in such a
way that the portrayal lacks redeeming merit, and has become
simply obscene. The "Hot Coffee" segment of GTA:SA certainly
stepped across this chasm into obscenity; neither the sexual
content nor the violence of Killer7, however, cross that
boundary. Even the most violently distressing scene in
Killer7--involving Blackburn and Pedro--ultimately redeems
itself as a stress, because of its function as a creator of
pathos.
The aspect of this controversy in which I am critical of both
Thompson and Casamassina--though moreso Thompson--involves the
appraisal of the game's sexual content. Since Thompson uses
Casamassina's assessment to draw his conclusion on Killer7's
appropriateness, I first will address Casamassina's review
excerpt.
The assessment of the sexual content of Killer7 as "full blown
sex sequences" is misleading and exaggerated. Only one scene
in the entire game qualifies as sexual, and--insofar as it
contributes to the game's characterization and content--it is
portrayed tastefully for the game's intended adult audience.
The specific scene that I refer to is a cut-scene, at the
beginning of the CLOUDMAN mission. Samantha Smith--the Save
Maid and caretaker of a catatonic Master Harman--is
interrupted while molesting Harman in his wheelchair. She
wears sexually suggestive clothing--a Catholic school uniform-
-and audibly climaxes during the sequence. Then, exhausted,
she collapses in a nearby chair--with suggestive posture--and
offers Garcian sexual favors. Importantly for the game,
Garcian refuses the invitation.
Other scenes contain sexually adult circumstances, but they
are implicitly sexual (rather than explicitly sexual, as the
scene described above). The two most notable scenes involving
Samantha Smith are the animated cutscene at the start of the
ALTER EGO mission--wherein the camera's point-of-view hints at
a shot of Samantha's crotch while she is wearing a skirt
(although showing neither genitalia nor much underwear)--and
the cutscene the start of the SMILE mission, wherein Samantha
is discovered dead and appears to have been raped.
Naturally, the implicit and explicit sexuality of these scenes
have not been created for an audience of children. Within the
context of the narrative of Killer7, however, they are
justifiable characterizations within adult circumstances.
Description of these circumstances as "full blown sex
sequences" implies a greater degree of explicit, pornographic
sexuality; it also implies interactivity, such as was
implemented in the "Hot Coffee" sequence of GTA:SA. Neither
greatly explicit presentation nor interactivity are elements
of the sexual scenes in Killer7. However, I am not critical of
Casamassina for having described Killer7 in the terms that he
has; the ambiguity of individual value judgments, with respect
to what constitutes a "full blown sex sequence" and what
constitutes a sexually allusive sequence, suggest that he and
I played the same game and are describing the same scenes.
Casamassina's description of Killer7's content seems to be
Thompson's greatest leverage for his criticism of the
E.S.R.B.'s rating. Thompson, then, has relied upon a
misleading and ambiguous description of the content of the
game--and, from this reliance, has thrown insupportable
accusations at the game and the E.S.R.B.
I do not think that Casamassina is at fault, here; his
quotation about the sexual content of Killer7 is excerpted
from a review article, and (as anyone who has read a review of
any media that he or she enjoys may attest) review articles
are highly subjective compositions. I may disagree with the
language used in Casamassina's review article, but I do not
believe it is inappropriate for the subjective claims of a
review article.
Jack Thompson, however, has excerpted a subjective description
of Killer7, and he has used it as a means of spreading
disinformation about the game's content. Not only are
Thompson's claims sensationalistic and unfounded, they are
dishonest and undermine the sincere efforts of conscientious
adult gamers to create room in the gaming medium for mature
creations--while restraining the medium's corporations from
making mature games available to immature gamers.
On a concluding note, I would like to add that maturity is a
relative term. Some gamers (almost always teenagers) prefer to
think of maturity as a character quality that transcends
years; often, the age at which maturity can bloom fully is
(coincidence!) the same age as the gamer. This is rationale is
self-serving, I think. A minority of gamers, below the age of
18 years old, can handle the difficult scenes in Killer7; I
would like to stress, however, that this minority should be
recognized as exceptionally mature by their authority figures
before being allowed access to the game.
Please keep thinking about the game. As I am ready to move on to
other projects, this version of the plot analysis document con-
stitutes the final revision. It may be updated in the future with
the completed translation of the "Hand in Killer7" book, but other-
wise, that will be all.
I apologize to all who have eMailed me and nore received a re-
sponse. Feedback on this document has been almost overwhelming,
and I am deeply grateful for everyone who has taken time to write.
I may be contacted at: LOGOS_AWAKENING@BELLSOUTH.NET.
Thank you very much--especially to all of the wonderful
readers who have written their questions and recommendations.
I really appreciate all of your communication.
VERY SPECIAL THANKS goes to Yoshiko Ohier, Sam Ellis, and Jerel
Smith.
And, of course, to Iris, whom I love for all my life.
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VIII: APOLOGETICS (AKA, ABOUT THE AUTHOR) [#VIII]
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I have titled this segment "Apologetics," because of a type of
criticism that I have received for my writing on this game. I
refer to a particular breed of criticism, chiefly defined by
its antagonism, animosity, and aggressive dismissal of
everything written above.
This plot analysis is the document that it is, because Killer7
is the game that it is and I am the gamer who I am. Any
analysis, no matter how scientific its context, is ultimately
an act of interpretation. In scientific analysis, the
difference between analysts depends upon their relative
experience and talents. The difference also lies in their
priorities: two scientific analysts, one with the military and
the other with consumer products, could look at the same
general information about, say, heat generation, and draw
different conclusions about the information, because one needs
to make better bombs and the other needs to make better
toasters.
As a creative writer--a poet, in fact--my analytical
priorities are aesthetic. I desire to analyse a story in terms
of the beauty and pleasure it inspires; and the beauty and
pleasure it inspires, I think, depends upon its sense of
balance and its ability to convey a relevant truth. The latter
aspect is WHAT a story does, and the former aspect is HOW it
does it.
With that said, I will offer examples of the criticisms
leveled toward my interpretation of Killer7, as it developed
on the GameFAQs message boards: "ShockleyHaynes, no offense,
but your posts are closer to fanfics than plot analysis. Maybe
you should go make your own thread;" "your theory only holds
together if the reader accepts distinctions and terminology
that you made up;" "you made **** up to fit your ideals! Well,
whatever;" and the classic: "Yeah, you would know better than
the game creators huh?"
Those who level criticism of this sort mistake "self-
confidence" for "certainty of truth." Yes, I am self-confident
that my interpretation is sensible, coherent, and respects the
content of the game. No, I am not certain of the absolute
truth of my interpretation.
I believe in history; I believe in culture; I believe in myth;
I believe in the human need to understand coherently the world
of experience. I am a Southern American man whose family has
roots in Alabama and South Carolina, and I was raised on
German military bases until I was ten years old. I have lived
in a number of European countries, have traveled to most of
them at one time or another, and lived in Finland for four
months. I love learning. I am, in short, an American scholar--
specifically, a Southern American scholar, which comes through
most keenly when discussing post-modernity, a worldview of
which I am skeptical when it is taken as a faith.
Yes, our times may be described as "post-modern," eminently
subjective, ultimately pointing toward no absolute truth. Yet,
we conclude that no truth can exist, because no truth can be
absolute. This is as ridiculous as Beat Poetry and pure
atheism. Everyone over the age of twenty has a value system;
and interpretations are born from value systems, whether
ancient or invented.
In most plot analysis documents, this sort of long and
abstruse explanation of the plot analysis would be quite out
of place. Killer7 is a post-modern story, and (as such) leaves
many holes for the gamer to fill with his or her personal
explanations. If I wrote this plot analysis with the intention
of wresting those holes from the reader and filling them with
my own explanations, then I would have betrayed the vision of
the creative team.
This game can be anything from the extended commentary on
Japanese-U.S. relationships that I have suggested above, to a
story involving the bad-ass adventures of Garcian and Dan
Smith. Pick your cup of tea and drink it, but don't say that
because you have a choice of cups, there is no tea.
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IX: LEGAL NOTES [#IX]
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The entirety of this document (with the exception of such
passages as are quoted directly from the copyrighted video
game Killer7 [Capcom 2005] and specifically cited materials from
other literary or historical sources) is the intellectual property
of James Clinton Howell. No one except the following web sites
may host this document:
GameFAQs
NeoSeeker
IGN.Com
Killer7 SINdicate (http://www.tekcities.com/killer7)
Anyone knowingly hosting this document, without specifically
crediting James Clinton Howell as the author, violates the
legal copyright stipulations defined in Section IX of this
document.
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APPENDIX: "HAND IN KILLER7" [APPENDIX]
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Publication information for "Hand in Killer7":
"Hand in Killer7-Kill the Past, Jump Over the Age."
Published August 2005 by CAPCOM CO, LTD.
ISBN: 457516445. 95 pages.
The international copyright for "Hand in Killer7" belongs to
CAPCOM CO., LTD. This document is not an attempt to infringe upon
or challenge that copyright. If an English-language version of
this book is published, the following translation will be removed
in accordance with international copyright laws.
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I: INTRODUCTION [APPEN-I]
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In August 2005, Capcom released the book "Hand in Killer7." Like
other companion books to video games (such as the books that com-
plement the Silent Hill games), "Hand in Killer7" offers new
insights into the world of Killer7. Many fans of the game
expected the book to fill in many of the empty spaces left in
the plot. In fact, even after having written my length plot
analysis document, I wondered what the "official version" of
the story was.
After having reviewed the content of "Hand in Killer7," however,
I think that it would be a mistake to believe that the inform-
ation contained within the book answers all questions within the
game. Information within the book outright contradicts inform-
ation given to the audience during the game, and the book
introduces characters to the story that are never mentioned or
shown in the game. The problem seems obvious to me: what good
is a video game, if the game cannot be relied upon to give the
relevant details of its own narrative?
In my plot analysis document, I have endeavored always to respect
the details of the game before conjecturing with regard to sym-
bolic meaning and historical allusions. I have based my inter-
pretation around the game. The content of "Hand in Killer7" does
not do this. Rather, it assumes that the story of the game is
flexible enough to be bent in a different form.
Two options suggest themselves: one, "Hand in Killer7" has the
"true story" and all of us paid $50 to $30 for a game that was
wrong about itself; two, "Hand in Killer7" is not an attempt to
reveal the truth about the world of Killer7, and it tries to
convey to its readers the story that the creative development
team had wanted to make, but could not.
For the sake of justifying the money spent on the game--and of
exculpating SUDA51 and Grasshopper from the charge of ripping
off their audience--I prefer to think of "Hand in Killer7" as
the latter. Think of it as the same characters, with the same
atmosphere, and the same setting--only a different story.
Some have suggested that I argue the point, because "Hand in
Killer7" invalidates my own lengthy plot analysis and interpret-
ation. I disagree with these claims. Foremost, I began the Plot
Analysis document with the intention to analyse the Capcom 2005
release "Killer7"--a video game. As I have written above, my
analysis attempts to wrap itself around the facts of the narrative
with as little invention as possible. "Hand in Killer7" invents
freely. Regardless of the source--and regardless of the authority
granted to the source, such as that granted to the originator
of the story--information about the game that does not come from
either the game or materials packaged within the game falls short
of being "canon" for an interpretation.
They had their chance to tell a story when we spent $50 to $30
on a video game. If they didn't do it right then, they have lost
the opportunity to revise--unless, of course, they would either
give us all free copies of the revision, or fully refund our
purchases.
My plot analysis is an interpretation of Killer7, the video game,
and not the development team's good intentions.
I may sound like I am addressing SUDA 51 or the development
team harshly. I assure you, I am not. I address gainsayers
harshly.
I include the translation of "Hand in Killer7," because I love the
mythos of the game. As a result, a variation upon the story in
the game--created, no less, by the game's creators--is a welcome
experience. I believe it will be welcome for my readers, too.
Please enjoy the following translation of "Hand in Killer7."
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"HAND IN KILLER7" TRANSLATION [APPEN-II]
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"HAND IN KILLER7: KILL THE PAST, JUMP OVER THE AGE"
Translated by Yoshiko Ohier; edited by James Howell.
Proofread by Yoshiko Ohier and OVERDRIVE JEREL Smith.
CONTENTS:
I: FACTIONS [APPEN-FAC]
A: The United Nations Party [APPEN-FAC-A]
B: The Liberal Party [APPEN-FAC-B]
C: The United States of America [APPEN-FAC-C]
D: The U. S. Government [APPEN-FAC-D]
E: The U. S. Opposition Party [APPEN-FAC-E]
F: The International Ethics Committee [APPEN-FAC-F]
G: The Yakumo Cabinet Policy [APPEN-FAC-G]
H: The Asian Security Protocol [APPEN-FAC-H]
I: Fireworks [APPEN-FAC-I]
J: International Mass-Scale Transit System [APPEN-FAC-J]
K: Network [APPEN-FAC-K]
II: TIMELINE [APPEN-TIM]
III: CHARACTERS [APPEN-CHA]
A: Harman Smith [APPEN-CHA-A]
B: Kun Lan [APPEN-CHA-B]
C: Garcian Smith [APPEN-CHA-C]
D: Dan Smith [APPEN-CHA-D]
E: KAEDE Smith [APPEN-CHA-E]
F: MASK De Smith [APPEN-CHA-F]
G: Con Smith [APPEN-CHA-G]
H: Coyote Smith [APPEN-CHA-H]
I: Kevin Smith [APPEN-CHA-I]
J: Samantha Sitbon [APPEN-CHA-J]
K: Christopher Mills [APPEN-CHA-K]
L: Travis Bell [APPEN-CHA-L]
M: Iwazaru [APPEN-CHA-M]
N: Kikazaru [APPEN-CHA-N]
O: Mizaru [APPEN-CHA-O]
P: Yoon-Hyun [APPEN-CHA-P]
Q: Susie Sumner [APPEN-CHA-Q]
R: Kess Bloodysunday [APPEN-CHA-R]
S: Gate-Keeper [APPEN-CHA-S]
T: Mad Doctor [APPEN-CHA-T]
IV: "STUDY ARTICLE ON MULTIFOLIATE PERSONAE PHENOMENON"
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I: FACTIONS [APPEN-FAC]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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A: THE UNITED NATIONS PARTY [APPEN-FAC-A]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the Second World War, the United Nations Party was
founded by former members of the Liberal Party. Since its
establishment, it has become Japan's leading political party.
Toru Fukushima is the party's leader; he is a former member
of the Liberal Party. Some members of the party are older
men, like Hiroyasu Kurahashi and Shinya Akiba. The party
also includes younger people, whose leader within the party
is Kenjiro Matsuoka.
When Fukushima was killed, the party briefly fell into chaos.
Fukushima was supposed to attend the Japan-U. S. meeting in
the Kaku Building; in his place, the Liberal Party sent its
members. Negotiations between the Liberal Party and the
U. S. Government had concluded well before the meeting in
the Kaku Building, so the meeting was intended to be a mere
formality. Unexpectedly, the U. S. Government broke off
negotiations; as a result, both sides ended up killing each
other.
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B: THE LIBERAL PARTY [APPEN-FAC-B]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Liberal Party is the second most powerful political party
in Japan. Ohta and Kuramoto (the men who attended the
negotiations in the Kaku Building) are members of the Liberal
Party, and Hiro Kasai works as an informant for the Liberal
Party. Intent on destroying the U. N. Party, the Liberal
Party wants to reclaim its lost place as the forerunning
political party in Japan.
The Liberal Party desired an extension of the Asian Security
Treaty, and therefore kept its relationship with the U. S.
Government in good condition. Oppositely, Toru Fukushima
completely severed his relationship with the U. S.
Government; he ended the security treaty in the interest of
establishing Japan as a truly independent state.
When the Liberal Party learned about Fukushima's annulment of
the Asian Security Treaty, it sent Julia Kisugi to
assassinate him. As well, Kisugi was instructed to retrieve
the Yakumo. The Liberal Party wanted to reclaim control of
the Japanese Government, to protect the Japanese people's
interests. It regarded Fukushima's action as reckless.
Since the Liberal Party desired a more complex relationship
of support with the United States, it was only natural that
they should try to assassinate the leader of their Japanese
competition.
Kasai asked the Killer7 to eliminate Jean DePaul. He wanted
the Japan/U. S. Government meeting in the Kaku Building to
succeed, in order to strengthen the security treaty.
Fukushima, however, had known for years that the U. S.
Government was plotting against Japan. He took his
anti-U. S. position in preparation.
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C: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [APPEN-FAC-C]
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Since the foundation of the United States of America, many
organizations and political parties struggled for power.
Although history recognizes the United States of America's
government as a democratic republic, it is rumoured that a
shadow government really runs the country.
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D: THE U. S. GOVERNMENT [APPEN-FAC-D]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The U. S. Government's cold attitude toward Japan resulted in
a rupture in its relationship to Toru Fukushima. The Killer7
recieves its missions from the U. S. Government, through
Christopher Mills.
Jeffers and Dudley--the U. S. representatives at the meeting
in the Kaku Building--were sent to the meeting in order to
break off negotiations with Japan. They were expendable
pawns, who were sent to end the negotiations by killing the
Japanese representatives--and being killed themselves.
As a result, Japan was thrown into total chaos. Some
wondered whether Japan's disorder was the President and the
U. S. Government's intention from the start. However, the
President's delay in response was due to the prolonged
settlement on the distribution of Japan's land and natural
resources, with European countries.
The true "test of Japan's value" for the U. S. Government was
nothing more than determining what benefit the U. S. would
recieve from Japan's destruction. If the U. S. had received
fewer concessions and benefits from Japan's destruction, the
Fireworks are likely to have been launched.
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E: THE U. S. OPPOSITION PARTY [APPEN-FAC-E]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Behind the scenes, the U. S. Opposition Party is connected
with Kun Lan's EAST; it tries to help him crush the United
States. The U. S. Opposition Party controls the U. S.
Immigration Bureau.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
F: THE INTERNATIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE [APPEN-FAC-F]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The International Ethics Committee [IEC] is a peace-keeping
organization that mediates in international conflict. The
IEC intended to make the United States attack Japan. It sent
Jean DePaul to Restaurant Fukushima with orderst to eliminate
Kisugi, to destroy Japan's Liberal Party. (If Fukushima was
allowed to live, Japan's isolation would be maintained.) The
rationale behind sending DePaul to the Kaku Building was
similar: to break off the negotiation by killing members of
Japan's Liberal Party, who wanted to extend the security
treaty. However, DePaul encountered MASK De Smith before he
reached the meeting room; DePaul's mission failed. His life
was wasted, since the IEC's desires were fulfilled without
the need for their intervention.
The next objective of the International Ethics Committee is
to colonize Japan with Russian and Asian populations. They
have already occupied Hokkaido and Kyushu; now, they are
arguing over concession of Honshu with the United States. In
Singapore, the negotiations regarding the division of Japan
continue.
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G: THE YAKUMO CABINET POLICY [APPEN-FAC-G]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Yakumo Cabinet Policy was created in 1953. It was the
work of the group known as the Union 7, who were young
members of the Liberal Party. The Yakumo Cabinet Policy
(called "Yakumo" for short) addressed such subjects as "the
ideal nation," foreign policy, and other matters of
nationalism and diplomacy. The policy was given to the
Liberal Party's chief secretary, after which it disappeared.
The Union 7 was forced to disband, owing to internal conflict
within the Liberal Party.
Julia Kisugi was hired by the Liberal Party and sent to the
United States, to retrieve the Yakumo. She was hired as a
secretary by Toru Fukushima, who she later killed. However,
the Yakumo had been taken by Jean DePaul (a spy from the
International Ethics Committee), who had taken work in
Fukushima's restaurant as an apprentice to the head chef.
The whereabouts of the Yakumo were unknown, after that.
However, it was rumoured that a young mail clerk in a small
Texan town named Andrei Ulmeyda had found part of the Yakumo,
somehow. Ulmeyda established a company called "First Life."
As his company grew, he employed most of the town's
residents. "First Life" developed the town and became much
more than a simple business.
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H: THE ASIAN SECURITY PROTOCOL [APPEN-FAC-H]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the primary causes of international conflict is the
limited number of energy resources, in conjunction with
different economic systems and environmental concerns.
In 1975, in Hakone, Japan, an international conference met to
find solutions to energy security problems, specifically as
they related to Asian countries. The Hakone Protocol
contained three different possible routes:
[1] The Pipe Plan. This plan was advantageous to oil
producing countries in the Middle East.
[2] The Civic Plan: This plan was advantageous for China and
its allied countries, all of whom had a high dependency on
coal.
[3] The Massive Plan: This plan was advantageous for the
United States and Europe, who desired oil concessions from
the Middle East.
One of these three plans was adopted by the countries who
attended and voted during the international conference.
However, there was no formal announcement regarding which of
the three plans was selected.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I: FIREWORKS [APPEN-FAC-I]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In 2003, the United Nations Army intervened on international
conflicts and brought true peace to the entire world, for
people of all races. The United Nations declared world
peace. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The "United Nations" referred to here
IS NOT THE U. N. PARTY. The U. N. Party is specifically
Japanese, and specifically operates within the context of
U. S./Japanese diplomacy. The United Nations, in this
section, refers to the real-world global welfare
organization.]
Global disarmament commenced. All members of the United
Nations signed a formal agreement, dedicating their countries
to a total abolition of weapons of mass destruction. The
agreement stipulated that the disposal of the weapons of mass
destruction must occur within plain view of the entire
world's population; this meant that undersea or underground
detonations were not allowed. The United Nations decided
that the missiles should be launched outside the Earth's
atmosphere, then intercepted by other missiles, thereby
exploding all missiles at once.
These explosions lit up the night sky. Because of their
resemblance, these explosions were called "Fireworks." They
were the most anticipated event in the history of the world.
The International Photographic Mapping Office transmitted
photographs of these explosions all over the world, so that
anyone who missed the explosions could see proof. In April
2005, the Fireworks took place in the sky above Ibiza island.
The sky over Japan was chosen, also, as a point of
detonation.
All this is how history records the events. However, in
reality, the "peace for people of all races" was imposed by
the United Nations Army, and the World Peace Declaration was
superficial. Oppositely, racial tensions increased under
pressure from the United Nations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
J: INTERNATIONAL MASS-SCALE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM [APPEN-FAC-J]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The United Nations feared that it could no longer control the
international market, owing to the hastened development of
means of distribution of materials. Therefore, it enacted
greater restrictions on the air transportation industry.
Additionally, research institutes reported that an unknown
virus was transported via airplanes; this virus had the
potential to spark a global epidemic. A decline in the use
of airlines was inevitable. In order to replace air
transportation, a network of "Intercontinental Expressways"
was planned for construction.
After the construction of the Intercontinental Expressways, a
next-generation distribution system was slated for
construction, using the Intercontinental Expressways as their
foundation. For its successful operation, a newly discovered
power source would be used to move a a gigantic metal plate
across the sea floor. The plate would have a base area of
several kilometers. This next-generation distribution system
was called the "Intercontinental Mass-Scale Transportation
System."
Construction of the new transportation system began in 2003;
by 2005, forty percent of the project had been completed. As
of the events of Killer7, construction continues. Many
politicians became rich from under-the-table concessions
granted to private corporations, who supplied materials for
the large-scale construction.
As of 2005, the project had concluded its experimental phase.
It was proven workable. However, nations still struggle
between each other, over concessions promised at the
beginning of the project, regarding the maintenance of the
infrastructure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
K: NETWORK [APPEN-FAC-K]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In 1996, the International Photographic Mapping Office was
created as an organ of the United Nations. Initially, the
office was supposed to sort and distribute aerial photographs
for the United Nations Army. Several years later, however,
the office was involved fully in controlling media and
commercial images.
In 1998, the private use of the Internet was banned globally
by the United Nations. Under the influence of such
organizations as "Security Council," "Economic and Social
Council," and "Human Rights Committee," regulation on the
uses of the Internet was reinforced. The restrictions were
established to help protect national secrets, as well as
individual information, and to protect against cyber-
terrorism in the global market.
As a result, analog devices replaced digital devices to
support the networks and other media.
However, even after 1998, a computer network still operates
that supports hackers and devoted online gamers. Love Wilcox
rose to celebrity status among the members of this
underground subculture.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
II: TIMELINE [APPEN-TIM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[ 1750 ]
New Southampton, Wineport: HARMAN DELTAHEAD was born. He was
the first-born son in his family.
[ 1750 ]
Lhasa, Tibet's capital: KUN LAN was born. From birth, he was
the heir of the governor. He was born an adult.
[ 1753 ]
Kun Lan (at the age of three) became worshipped as the
reincarnation of a demon. An underground organization
recognized him as their leader.
[ 1758 ]
Harman Deltahead (at the age of eight) met a man who
introduced himself as Harman's neighbor. The man had an
angelic smile.
[ 1768 ]
Harman Deltahead's beloved Susan was murdered. Until this
point, Harman had lived an ordinary American life. With his
loss, he went mad. He first encountered the REMNANT PSYCHES
at the villa where Susan had been killed.
When Harman entered the villa, he saw a vision of six corpses
and Susan, who was tied up. The neighbor with the angelic
smile had guided him to the villa.
It was then that Harman Deltahead decided to change sides:
from victim to killer.
[ 1772 ]
Harman Deltahead joined the JIM TOWNSEND SURVEY COMPANY.
While the J. T. Survey Company outwardly portrayed itself as
a census institute, its real work involved taking
"contracts"--missions of assassination.
Harman entered the world of professional killers.
[ 1774 ]
Harman Deltahead left for a mission that brought him to the
Union Hotel. On the rooftop, he met a man named DIMITRI,
whose nickname was "Three Eyes."
The neighbor with the angelic smile--Kun Lan--appeared in
front of Harman Deltahead. Kun Lan became the medium through
which "Three Eyes" spoke.
Harman and Kun Lan quickly became close friends. They met
for tea regularly.
[ 1775 ]
Harman Deltahead killed Jim Townsend, head of the J. T.
Survey Company. Harman was revered as one of the world's
best killers.
He formed the FIRST SMITH SYNDICATE and changed his name to
"HARMAN SMITH." Harman Smith was feared globally as one of
the most horrific assassins.
Dimitri was the first member of the First Smith Syndicate; he
was Harman's first victim, and the origin of Harman Smith's
"God Killer" powers. Dimitri was believed by others to be
Harman Smith's bodyguard, and inspired fear equal to that
inspired by Harman Smith.
This was the start of Harman's multiple personalities.
[ 1778 ]
Harman Smith unexpectedly quit professional assassination.
He disappeared from society and history.
Dimitri was rejected by the core persona. The core persona
separated from Harman Smith and became Harman Deltahead, once
more.
[ 1780 ]
Harman Deltahead founded Coburn Elementary School and became
the school's first principal. Secret underground
organizations funded Harman Deltahead and Coburn. They
wanted Coburn to specialize in educating individuals who
would spread and cultivate capitalism.
[ 1789 ]
The first presidential primary election was held at Coburn
Elementary School.
[ 1820 ]
The dead bodies of Harman Deltahead and Kun Lan were found at
Coburn. They had been killed while playing chess.
[ 1942 ]
EMIR PARKREINER was born.
Dimitri disappeared from society and was not heard from
again.
[ 1946 ]
In the political turmoil following Japan's defeat in World
War II, the LIBERAL PARTY proved itself so inept that it
couldn't pay for the rental of its own facilities. TORU
FUKUSHIMA was working as an aide to a member of the Japanese
Diet, when he was contacted by the U. N. PARTY.
Fukushima became a political "architect" for the U. N. Party.
[ 1948 ]
According to official records, Emir Parkreiner's parents died
in a car accident.
[ 1952 ]
Emir Parkreiner killed his parents and disappeared from
society. At the time, he had been living with his parents,
under the surveillance of the U. S. Government in an isolated
state.
[ 1953 ]
The "UNION 7" wrote "the Yakumo Cabinet Policy" [YAKUMO].
The Union 7 was comprised of young Japanese political
figures, who were members of the Liberal Party, though they
stood apart from the internal conflict that threw the party
into chaos.
The Yakumo was given to the Liberal Party's chief secretary,
but it vanished. The Union 7 was dissolved as a group. The
following year, the U. N. Party overtook the Liberal Party in
the political arena.
[ 1954 ]
The horrific crimes committed by the killer known as "THE
BLOODY HEARTLAND" became serious problems to society.
[ 1955 ]
The Union 7 attended a secret meeting at the Union Hotel,
which was called "the Yakumo Secret Meeting." They were
killed by a serial murderer, though the whole incident was
hushed up. The affair was called "Killer7."
On the rooftop of the Union Hotel, Harman Smith met a dying
boy with three eyes. The boy was Emir Parkreiner.
Harman Deltahead and Kun Lan resurrected.
[ 1957 ]
The SECOND SMITH SYNDICATE was formed with seven personae.
They were called "KILLER7".
[ 1959 ]
CURTIS BLACKBURN was in his mid-teens. Though he became
notorious among Seattle's underground societies, he did not
belong to a criminal organization. He worked for the
government, and his work consisted of contracts from the
U. S. government.
[ 1960 ]
Japan and the United States signed a security treaty.
[NOTE: the text of this treaty may be read here:
http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~worldjpn/documents/texts/
docs/19600119.T1E.html ]
[ 1967 ]
HIRO KASAI met Harman Smith in Hakone, Japan; he had a
mission for Harman.
Kasai wanted Harman to investigate the security of the votes
of countries involved with the Asian Security Treaty. After
his investigation, Harman promised Kasai that the treaty
would be ratified, and gave Kasai the report of his
investigation.
Harman Smith met the chairman of the countries who were
members of the Asian Security Treaty. The treaty was
ratified, and Japan became a member of the council. In front
of Harman, the chairman committed suicide.
[ 1969 ]
TRAVIS BELL became the first victim of the Second Smith
Syndicate.
[ 1973 ]
Harman Smith lost his chess game against Kun Lan.
As part of his loss, Harman promised to give Kun Lan control
over the major cities of the west coast of the United States
of America. Harman began the process by sending DAN SMITH to
Curtis Blackburn in Seattle, to destroy the small gangs there
and establish Blackburn's control.
CHRISTOPHER MILLS, as a young boy, became Blackburn's
informant and entered the world of underground society.
[ 1975 ]
Blackburn ended his role as Dan Smith's mentor. On a
basketball court, Curtis shot Dan to death.
GARCIAN SMITH recovered Dan's corpse, and he obtained the
power to resurrect the dead.
[ 1978 ]
The Killer7 took a mission from the head of a Spanish
organization that specialized in cleaning up the aftermath of
accidents. They left for Spain. The target was the son of
one of the organization's workers: KESS BLOODYSUNDAY.
[ 1980 ]
KEVIN SMITH fought the pharmaceutical mafia in Miami,
Florida. During the fight, Kevin killed the man he loved.
[ 1982 ]
In Madison Square Garden, , MASK DE SMITH fought a decisive
battle against an army of prototype Heaven Smiles and "Mask
Smiles."
Kun Lan's shadow began to creep over the Second Smith
Syndicate.
[ 1987 ]
Using their connections within Seattle's base for the
nation's Self-Defense Department, Curtis Blackburn and PEDRO
MONTANA created a black market organ-trafficking route. They
did this by manipulating the Immigration Department's
procedures.
[ December 1990 ]
In southern France, the Killer7 took on a mission to dissolve
a secret meeting that was scheduled to be held at a first-
class resort hotel. There, they confronted large numbers of
"Rollout Heaven Smiles."
The Killer7 decimated the Heaven Smiles, but an unknown woman
appeared in front of them. She killed one persona after
another; she nearly annihilated the Second Smith Syndicate.
In the end, though, Harman Smith successfully cut her down.
The personae were so heavily damaged, it took Garcian Smith
ten years to resurrect all of them. During this time, the
activity of the Second Smith Syndicate was suspended.
SAMANTHA SITBON began serving Harman Smith. In the absence
of the other personae, she took work as a persona of the
Killer7.
[ 1992 ]
HULBERT, an FBI Special Agent, infiltrated Coburn Elementary
School and was murdered.
[ 1998 ]
The world enjoyed its first year of total peace. The
international community banned all air transportation, in the
interest of suppressing terrorism. The analog network system
rapidly developed.
[ 1999 ]
Samantha Smith--who was a temporary persona of Harman--killed
JOHNNY GAGNON.
[ 2000 ]
Garcian Smith succeeded in resurrecting all of the fallen
personae. The Second Smith Syndicate was back.
However, Dan Smith tried to kill Harman in a fit of lunacy.
Harman was wounded mortally; he fell into a state of
suspended animation. Samantha left her work as a killer-
persona and began taking care of him.
[ 2002 ]
The Network of Intercontinental Expressways opened.
[ 2003 ]
Construction of the International Mass-Scale Transportation
System began.
Radioactive waste and other materials were sent to an energy
disposal facility, a dome structure built in the Indian
Ocean. The international community's ultimate goal was to
eliminate all intercontinental missiles.
The number of terrorist attacks using "Heaven Smiles"
increased.
[ 2010 ] ----- ANGEL
Harman Smith returned. The battle in the "Celtic Building"
occurred.
[ 2010 ] ----- SUNSET
200 missiles launched toward Japan.
JULIA KISUGI was contracted by Christopher Mills to kill Toru
Fukushima. At the restaurant Fukushima, Kisugi, JEAN DEPAUL,
and the Killer7 met. DePaul was an agent for the
International Ethics Committee. Kisugi killed Fukushima, but
the location of the "Yakumo Cabinet Policy" was unknown.
Hiro Kasai informed Garcian Smith that Jean DePaul had
infiltrated the Kaku Building, wherein the final secret
meeting was held between the United States and Japan.
The Killer7 headed for the Kaku Building. There, they fought
a spiritual battle with Hiroyasu Kurahashi and Shinya Akiba.
Meanwhile, Kenjiro Matsuoka was chosen by Kun Lan as his
messiah.
The missiles hit Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo: the four
major cities in Japan. Japan was obliterated.
[ August 2010 ] ----- CLOUDMAN
Andrei Ulmeyda announced on television that the amphitheater
wherein Stacy Spangles was giving a concert would be blown up
by Heaven Smiles. During his public declaration of the act
of terrorism, Ulmeyda challenged Garcian Smith to "find him
out."
Garcian left for Texas. There, he witnessed Ulmeyda turn
everything over to Clemence.
[ 2011 ] ----- ENCOUNTER
Dan and Curtis had their final confrontation: between the
master and the disciple, Dan brought Curtis to his end.
[ 2011 ] ----- ALTER EGO
The comic editor of ZTT published "Handsome Men." Each time
an issue was published, the events of the comic book occurred
in the real world.
The Second Smith Syndicate fought the Handsome Men, in order
to stop the serial murders committed by the Handsome Men.
Love Wilcox enacted her vengeance toward the largest
advertising company in the world--Eloctro & Line Inc.--the
force that controlled the crimes and the comics' stories,
behind the scenes. The use of advertising as a means of
propaganda and control was destroyed.
[ 2011 ] ----- SMILE
Hiro Kasai, a member of the Liberal Party, fell from a
building rooftop in front of Matsuken.
Garcian Smith recovered Emir Parkreiner's memory.
The Second Smith Syndicate dissolved.
[ 2014 ] ----- LION
The Bloody Heartland--Emir Parkreiner--was awake. He entered
Battleship Island alone to end everything.
Deep underground, he encountered Matsuken. He killed the
final Heaven Smile--"Last Shot"--who bore a striking
resemblance to Kun Lan
[ 2017 ]
The United Nations dissolved for the sake of global reform.
The world entered an age of total globalization. National
barriers ceased to exist.
[ 2020 ]
Part of the "Yakumo Cabinet Policy" was made public. It
became the subject of devout worship.
[ 2050 ]
A new type of terrorism appeared: "Heaven Tears." The
meaning of "terrorism" changed, again.
[ 2053 ]
The Third Smith Syndicate was formed to combat the "Heaven
Tears" terrorism.
----- 100 YEARS PASS -----
[ 2115 ]
In Shanghai, the battle between Harman Smith and Kun Lan
continues.
[ 2170 ]
The final battle takes place in Detroit. Billions of
"Final Smiles" fly to Detroit from the East.
OVERDRIVE MASK De Smith--the main persona of the Fifth Smith
Syndicate--confronts the horde of "Final Smiles."
[ 2171 ]
The chess game between Harman Smith and Kun Lan never ends,
fearing HIS apparition . . . .
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
III: CHARACTERS [APPEN-CHA]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: HARMAN SMITH [APPEN-CHA-A]
"Good night, child. It's past your bedtime."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Born in New Southampton, Wineport, Harman Smith is of
Irish descent. He is sixty years old and handicapped.
(2) He is the Deltaheads' first born son.
(3) He is the leader of the world's most powerful group of
assassins, the Killer7.
(4) Because of his power, he is known as the "God-Killer."
(5) He is the origin of the multiple personae.
(6) In his twenties, he worked as an agent for the Jim
Townshend Survey Company. He has been an assassin ever
since.
(7) His weapon is an armor-piercing rifle.
(8) He is better than Kun Lan at chess.
(9) In 2000, he was nearly killed by Dan Smith.
(10) In 2010, he was resuscitated.
(11) He is tied intimately to Coburn Elementary School.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
B: KUN LAN: Terror from the East. [APPEN-CHA-B]
"Harman . . . the world won't change. All it does is turn.
Now, let's dance."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Half Tibetan and half Chinese, his age is unknown.
(2) He is the son of a governor.
(3) He is an incarnation of the demon, Marla Parpiner.
(4) He became the leader of underground societies at the age
of three.
(5) His power has made him known as "God's Hand."
(6) He studied at a prestigious American university.
(7) He lost his Tibetan citizenship when he was twenty-four
years old.
(8) Using fake passports, he has moved through underground
organizations all over the world.
(9) In the past, he worked as a taxicab driver in Japan.
(10) His objective is the destruction of nations, using billions
of Heaven Smiles.
(11) Kun Lan is Harman's most distant neighbor, closest observer,
most sympathetic companion, and target.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
C: GARCIAN SMITH: The man who killed the past. [APPEN-CHA-C]
"I feel something . . . like somebody's calling out to me."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Garcian Smith was born in Miami, near the border with
Mexico. He is thirty-three years old.
(2) His nickname is "Garcie."
(3) He can see Heaven Smiles, using his powers of
clairvoyance.
(4) His weapon is a handgun, with a silencer attached.
(5) He is not good at fighting; he is the weakest in battle.
(6) After recovering a body, he has to tap the button on the
controller rapidly.
(7) He was "killed" by Harman in the past.
(8) Presently, he is Harman's faithful servant.
(9) Garcian is a sweet man who would not hurt a fly.
(10) He is the most important personality in the story.
(11) He is "the third eye."
(12) The Golden Gun rightfully belongs to him.
(13) He is also known as "the Bloody Heartland."
(14) His birth name and identity is Emir Parkreiner.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
D: DAN SMITH: A tyrant in a three-piece suit. [APPEN-CHA-D]
"I went and saw the Devil. Now it's your turn."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Dan Smith was born in Detroit, Michigan. Of Irish descent,
he is thirty-three years old.
(2) He is a tyrant--the true Hellion.
(3) His weapons are a revolver and the dreaded Demon Gun.
(4) He is best at eliminating the Duplicator Smiles with his
Collateral Shot.
(5) He is a former agent of the Seattle Self-Defense
Department.
(6) He and Mills have known each other for a long time.
(7) Curtis Blackburn was his mentor--and his mortal enemy.
(8) His room in the Union Hotel was #601.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
E: KAEDE SMITH: She walks in a storm of blood. [APPEN-CHA-E]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) KAEDE Smith was born in Portland, Oregon. Of Japanese
origin, she is twenty years old.
(2) Her nickname is "Barefoot."
(3) She cuts her wrist to send out her "Bloody Shower."
(4) Mizaru serves her.
(5) Her weapon is an automatic pistol, with a scope attached.
She reloads slowly.
(6) She is a formidable fighter with kicks.
(7) Her brother is a member of the Liberal Party.
(8) She was killed by her own brother, who received his orders
from Matsuken.
(9) Her body was recovered by Garcian.
(10) Her room in the Union Hotel was #404.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
F: MASK DE SMITH: A profesional wrestler, the strongest.
"Children are pure. They know who's the strongest."
[APPEN-CHA-F]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the masked man is
thirty-eight years old.
(2) In MASK De Smith, Luchadore meets Lancashire: Mexican
wrestling with Anglo-Irish tactics.
(3) He is very strong, even without weapons, using his
German Suplex and Headbutt moves.
(4) His weapons are two grenade launchers that fire normal
shells, Shock shells, and Focus shells.
(5) He is the most destructive member of the Killer7.
(6) His room in the Union Hotel was #306.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
G: CON SMITH: Sound hunter, speed star. [APPEN-CHA-G]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Of Chinese descent, Con Smith is blind at fourteen
years old.
(2) He is known for his supersonic footwork.
(3) He has perfect hypersensitive hearing.
(4) His weapons are two automatic pistols.
(5) He is a big fan of the Handsome Men.
(6) He is very attached to Coyote Smith, and he hates Dan Smith.
(7) He whistles, when he is in a good mood.
(8) His room in the Union Hotel was #203.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
H: COYOTE SMITH: The Hellion's nemesis. [APPEN-CHA-H]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Coyote Smith is Puerto Rican and twenty-eight years old.
(2) He is known as the Thief, and he is extremely athletic.
(3) He has the power known as "Deadly Jumping" for use in
burglary.
(4) His weapon is a modified revolver.
(5) He loves to unlock heavy padlocks.
(6) In the past, he was killed by Dan Smith.
(7) His room in the Union Hotel was #502.
(8) He speaks in the dialect from Hiroshima.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I: KEVIN SMITH: The taciturn killer. [APPEN-CHA-I]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Born in England, Kevin Smith is thirty years old.
(2) He wears sunglasses.
(3) His weapons are a large knife and smaller throwing knives.
(4) When he turns invisible, he can bypass security systems
easily.
(5) He is taciturn.
(6) He hates heights and loves dark places.
(7) His eyesight is weak.
(8) His shoulders are sloped, and he sometimes has bad posture.
(9) In the dark, his eyes are supposed to shine. However, this
has not been confirmed.
(10) His place in the Union Hotel is in the lobby.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
J: SAMANTHA SITBON: Obedient, aggressively sexual, and cruel.
"Don't worry about him. This gruff loves to play rough. You
wanna have a little fun, too . . . ?" [APPEN-CHA-J]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Samantha Sitbon is a college student.
(2) She takes care of Harman for three days out of the week,
for scholarship aide.
(3) In reality, she molests Harman.
(4) Sometimes, she teases Harman.
(5) She is mentally deranged.
(6) When Harman is awake, she completely changes into a loyal
servant.
(7) She appears in the Pigeon's Letters.
(8) At the end, she obtains the name "SAMANTHA SMITH."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
K: CHRISTOPHER MILLS [APPEN-CHA-K]
"What's sad is that we've gotten used to this. I mean our
senses . . . it's pathetic."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Born in Seattle, Christopher Mills is forty-nine years old
and of Scotch descent.
(2) He is the Killer7's informant.
(3) He is the connection between the U. S. Government and
Killer7.
(4) He is the U. S. Government's dog.
(5) He was Curtis Blackburn's informant, when he was a boy.
(6) He and Dan Smith are old acquaintances, but their
relationship is very bad.
(7) Mills is also an assassin, but his skills are terrible.
(8) He is in possession of the car covered in Ulmeyda's blood.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
L: TRAVIS BELL [APPEN-CHA-L]
"This just ain't right. Is it? Is it right for time to
march on like this?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Travis Bell was the first victim of the Second Smith
Syndicate.
(2) On a hot, humid summer night, he tried to kill the Killer7.
Instead, he died by their hands. He then became a Remnant
Psyche.
(3) He recalls that the feeling of being killed was exhilerating
and exciting.
(4) Now, he stalks both the Killer7 and underground society.
(5) He is obsessed with T-Shirts. His emotions and states of
mind are always printed on his shirts.
(6) He has a wealth of information regarding underground society.
(7) His last words to the Killer7 are: "Die like a dog, and then
laugh it off."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
M: IWAZARU [APPEN-CHA-M]
"In the name of Harman . . . ."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) "Master, it is I, Vincel Dill Boris VII, Iwazaruscof!"
(2) "We are in a tight spot!"
(3) "This is harsh/"
(4) "Ew! Major grossness."
(5) "It's wonderful!"
(6) "Enough!"
(7) "Very good . . . ."
(8) "That won't do."
(9) "This is it!"
(10) "This is hot!"
(11) "I can feel it!"
(12) "In the name of Harman . . . ."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
N: KIKAZARU [APPEN-CHA-N]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Kikazaru is Iwazaru's retainer.
(2) His favorite things are the Soul-Shells, which the Master
forgot.
(3) He crawls everywhere, to inform the Master of the Soul-Shells'
whereabouts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
O: MIZARU [APPEN-CHA-O]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Mizaru is Iwazaru's ex-wife.
(2) She is KAEDE's servant.
(3) Her cue to appear is KAEDE's blood shower.
(4) When she is called, she appears, shielding her eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
P: YOON-HYUN [APPEN-CHA-P]
"Ah, welcome, my little loser. I don't see you going places...."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Yoon-Hyun was the Killer7's first informant.
(2) He desires thick blood.
(3) He possesses the True Mask.
(4) He regards the Master as a loser.
(5) His most frequently repeated quotation is: "Tomorrow, it
could be you."
(6) The last advice he gives is: "Don't count on the others."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: SUSIE SUMNER [APPEN-CHA-Q]
"I'll leave the rest to your imagination. The imagination of a
killer . . . ."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) She always says, "Hello, Mr. Smith," as her greeting.
(2) She is portrayed always as a freshly severed head.
(3) She is responsible for returning the rings.
(4) She loses her temper very easily.
(5) Her favorite hiding place is inside a dryer.
(6) After diving from the second floor of her home, mutilating a
man by castration, loving chocolate sundaes in the South,
using her father's rifle to kill a young man who courted her,
and spending time in an isolation room, Susie Sumner died the
death of a killer.
(7) She frequently uses Internet emoticons.
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R: KESS BLOODYSUNDAY [APPEN-CHA-R]
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(1) Kess Bloodysunday is a boy who lives in his nightmares.
(2) He is always lost.
(3) Kess is keenly aware of someone having suddenly disappeared.
(4) He only sees all white, in front of his eyes.
(5) The scenery of his nightmares often fades.
(6) He confessed: "When I grow up, I will become the President
of the United States."
(7) His fantasy is to go someday to ISZK-Land.
(8) A serial killer, he became a murdered killer.
(9) His final memories are of his mother, father, and the monster
with three eyes.
(10) His final words are: "Who is the person taking my hand?"
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S: GATE-KEEPER [APPEN-CHA-S]
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(1) The Gate-Keeper is the guard of the Vinculum Gate.
(2) He will let a person challenge the demons beyond, if they
give him enough Soul-Shells.
(3) If the person is not serious about challenging the demons,
he will not let them pass.
(4) The Gate-Keeper is a fearsome man.
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T: MAD DOCTOR [APPEN-CHA-T]
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(1) The Mad Doctor can strengthen the Personae.
(2) He must be given blood, before he will help a person challenge
the demonic forces.
(3) He uses a mysterious blood machine; it operates similarly
to an espresso machine.
(4) Sometimes, the blood machine is out of order.
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IV: "Study Article on Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon"
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[Editor's Note: The following selection from "Hand in Killer7"
is a news and research article written within the universe of
Killer7. Think of it as a file you might have found in the
game.]
"Study Article on Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon"
by Jack Foley
After his disappearance from his professional and social circles
for twenty-three years, the body of neurologist Graham MacAlister
was found. His death is a mystery.
The following article (his professional legacy) was published
in the monthly magazine "Spreading the Truth" (August 1998).
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I first met Harman Smith in 1975.
I had driven to Seattle to visit my old colleague, Doctor
John Gibbon, who practiced clinical psychology in the area.
When I rolled through downtown, it was already very late.
I felt a premonition--something dark.
To complicate matters, my naturally bad sense of direction
caused me to become lost in the city. I ended up in a back
alley, and I met Harman Smith. He was in trouble; someone
had stolen his car. (Later, I learned that the car belonged
to Harman's companion, Christopher Mills.)
When Harman and Mills saw my car crawling down the alley,
they forced their way into the passenger and back seats.
I should have panicked. I should have run from the car-jackers,
but I didn't. I allowed their presence. Maybe it's because
of my premonition--some dark fate I knew I could never escape.
I surely would have fled, had I known what was in their luggage:
a stiff corpse.
They told me in the car that they had no where to stay the
night. I pitied them, and I let them stay in my hotel room.
They removed the corpse from the bag, and told me that they
needed to hide in my room for the night to avoid pursuers.
When I saw the body, my face palled. I boiled with self-
loathing at my foolish invitation for them to stay the night.
My recrimination quelled, though, after I saw their "ritual."
Curiosity and inquiry--how much human despair has grown from
these tendencies?
The "ritual" concluded by Harman absorbing the corpse--into
his own body! When Harman focused his mind, the corpse changed
into thousands of small particles; Harman's body then absorbed
these particles. Harman's middle-aged body then transformed,
and he took on all of the physical features of the absent corpse!
Harman more than resembled the man--he BECAME the man.
The man who he became--his name was Dan--insulted me a few
times. Then, Dan turned into those small particles again,
and Harman returned before my eyes.
I had witnessed an true phenomenon. In my excitement, I asked
Harman for specific descriptions of his methods. I thought I
had begun to annoy him with my questions. Instead of shutting me
out, though, Harman smiled; he held up a hand to silence me. A
normal person would have fled at the sight of the phenomenon,
but my abnormal curiosity intrigued him.
The notes that he allowed me to take read as follows:
(1) He can only absorb corpses that meet unknown requirements
for compatibility.
(2) When Harman's consciousness recognizes that a corpse is
compatible with Harman, the corpse transforms into thousands
of small particles, which Harman's body absorbs.
(3) Incredibly, the absorbed body exists within Harman--with its
own personality completely intact!
(4) When a persona becomes manifested, Harman's physical form
changes completely, as it did when he transformed into the
late Dan. Additionally, Harman's mental qualities change, too,
adopting the total personality associated with the body.
(5) In addition to Dan (the persona whose corpse had been absorbed
in my presence), another persona exists inside Harman. That
persona is named Garcian.
The situation bore similarities to Disassociative Identity Disorder,
in which the patient completely changes his personality. For readers
of this article who are unfamiliar with Disassociative Identity
Disorder, I should explain that it is a severe mental problem. In it,
the patient creates a new identity for himself; the new identity
is severed consciously from the patient's original identity. Through
the new identity, the patient loses contact with the original identity's
perceptions, self-awareness, and memory.
The similarities do not mean that Harman's condition is identical
to Disassociative Identity Disorder, though. A patient with multiple
personalities only manifests the new identities; Harman actually
morphs into the other identity's body. Needless to say, the creation
of a physically new person in time and space is rare in any field
of medicine.
Further, in most cases of Disassociative Identity Disorder, the
multiple personalities are created when the patient believes them
to exist outside of himself. A patient may have a personality named
John and another named Eric; John and Eric believe that each exists in
another body apart from each other. This is not so with Harman.
In his case--or, rather, in THEIR case--the separation of the spirit
creates a new body.
In most Disassociative Identity Disorder patients, the different
identities (or personae) pile up inside the patient. They stack one
on top of the one before, burying the original identity (or persona)
at the bottom. In Harman Smith, the personae all exist parallel to
each other; their identities and their bodies keep their individuality,
yet they are bound to each other.
I call this the Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon.
The next day, I begged Harman to hire me as his private physician,
even though I knew that he was a professional assassin working with
the criminal underworld. Harman Smith granted my wish.
I never met with Dr. Gibbon. As a scholar, it has been my duty
to document and understand the Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon.
During my study of Harman Smith, I learned that he can absorb
adult men--and, also, women and children. If Harman tries to absorb
a body, and if his consciousness rejects it as incompatible, the
personality becomes a phantom. I name the rejected personae
"remnant psyches." (I will describe the remnant psyches in detail,
in a future essay.)
Writing all of this down is like drafting my own will; it is suicidal
to betray Harman's trust. The contract I signed bound me to remain
silent about the Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon, except with certain
people. The contract never stated my punishment for crossing Harman,
but I am no fool. Harman Smith is a professional killer; I know what
will happen.
Perhaps I am a slave to my greed for knowledge. Whatever the
consequences, though, I could not neglect these phenomena, as a
scientist. Future generations must receive some record of the strange
power of Harman Smith.
I only want the public to know; as much as I can, I have revealed the
truth.
Graham MacAlister
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The document printed above was found on Dr. MacAlister's body, which was
found hanging from a noose. The doctor disappeared from his social and
professional circles in 1975, because he was regarded as a delinquent by
the medical community. He fervently proposed a psychological theory that
was fundamentally delusional.
In addition, an employee of the Union Hotel (where MacAlister stayed)
confirmed that MacAlister showed exceptionally strange behavior. At times,
he would shriek without reason; he showed symptoms of mental derangement.
For these reasons, the police concluded that MacAlister had committed
suicide, impulsively, as a result of his mental illness. The document
referred to in his article on the Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon, which
described details of the so-called "remnant psyches," was never found.
[MORE TO COME 2 September 2005]
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III: COMMENTS ON "HAND IN KILLER7"
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IV: CREDITS
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V: LEGAL NOTES
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